Legacy
by Sahara Rose 101
Summary: Set about 5 years after season 10 finishes. Clark and Lois are married with a one year old boy – Jonathan. But Lois dies leaving Clark to pick up the pieces and look after their baby boy. Tess helps him and sparks fly. Cless.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Legacy

Pairing: Clark/Tess

Setting: about 5 years after season 10 finishes. Clark and Lois are married with a one year old boy – Jonathan. Oliver splits his time between Star City and Metropolis, managing Queen Industries and is still the Green Arrow. Martha is still a senator in Washington DC but comes home semi regularly. Lex is back and is the President Elect at the moment. Tess lost her job when Lex returned but helps Oliver run Queen Industries, and sometimes acts as Watchtower when needed. Queen Industries and Luthorcorp are no longer a conglomerate. And Clark is finally superman.

Synopsis: Lois dies leaving Clark to pick up the pieces and look after their baby boy. Tess helps him and sparks fly.

Chapter 1

The words reverberated around his head. She was dead. She was dead.

Clark Kent watched as the wood casket was lowered into the ground. But he didn't see. He hadn't seen much of anything over the last week. He didn't believe this was happening. It was too soon. They hadn't had enough time.

_I wish we had more time. _

Next to him, his mother let out a quite sob and he wrapped an arm around her. A habit his wife teased him about but secretly adored. Clark almost smiled. If she could see him now… Clark stopped that thought. His wife wouldn't be seeing anything anymore. She was dead.

Martha Kent wrapped her arms around her son, holding him close, desperately trying to stifle her sobs. Her son had just lost his wife; Clark needed her to be strong. Her grandson needed her to be strong.

Clark felt his mother's touch but it didn't register. He felt the cold snow fall on his face, caressing his skin as once she did. He closed his eyes, wishing it was her touch. But it was too cold. She was always so warm, even to him, warm like the fire that ignited her spirit, her passion.

_I love you Smallville. _

A memory danced through his mind. A smile shimmered in front of him, disappearing as he opened his eyes. The minister was speaking now; words that Clark had heard a thousand times as Oliver struggled to find the words to describe someone was unique. How do you sum up a life? A life like hers?

_She's bossy… She's stuck up, she's rude. I can't stand her._

_You can't_, Clark thought. _You can't sum up her life in a few words, like the headlines she created. _His green eyes moved to the casket, seeing through the wood of their own volition. He saw her. She was still, silent. His wife was never silent. She always had to have the last word.

_Because I'm me, hello_.

Clark looked passed the casket to where Oliver Queen, best man at their wedding and friend, stood. The proud man had tears flowing freely down his face for the woman he regarded as his best friend. Clark looked passed Oliver to the crowd gathered behind him. He realised how much she was loved. There was easily a hundred people gathered. She would have loved it. If she was here…

A tear fell from Clark's eye. She was gone. Forever. The revelation he'd been avoiding for a week hit him hard. She was gone. She was dead. She was never coming home again.

He heard the casket hit the bottom of the grave and wanted to yell at someone to be more careful. She was fragile; she was his wife. A baby's cry stopped him. His son. Their son.

_We'll name him Jonathan after your father. _

Shushing followed immediately. But the red-haired woman that held him wasn't his mother. Clark took his arm away from his mother and reached out to Tess Mercer. She carefully passed the one-year-old over to his father and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Clark turned his attention to Jonathan. The baby squirmed in his fathers arms, trying to get comfortable but still crying loudly. He glared at Clark with his mother's green eyes as if everything was his father's fault. Clark merely starred back. Jonathan looked so much like his mother. The eyes, the nose, the defiance all like her in miniature.

_He's so adorable. He looks just like you, Honey._

This was all he had left of her. This small person was all she left. Why did she have to die? Why did she have to give up? Jonathan sensed his father's sadness and squirmed even more. He let out a pained whimper and Clark realised he was holding him too tight.

He couldn't do this. Not alone. Why did she have to abandon him? Clark passed Jonathan to a surprised Tess. "Take him."

She complied, looking at him curiously. "Don't do anything you'll regret." She said so softly only he could hear her. She looked back to the minister as he started the final blessing. Tess took Jonathan's small hand in hers. "Your Mommy loves you." She whispered to him. "We won't let you forget her."

Clark turned and walked through the crowd. They parted like the red sea, allowing the grieving widower through. As soon was he was out of range of curious eyes, Clark launched skyward, flying out of the atmosphere.

Hovering in orbit over the Earth, he let out an anguished scream. "Why did you have to go? Why didn't you tell me you were dying? Why didn't you let me say goodbye?"

The empty vacuum of space gave him no answers.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Martha looked up anxiously at the darkening sky through the kitchen window. She was starting to worry: Clark had been gone for four hours. He was missing Lois' wake and people were starting to ask for him as they left.

She looked over her shoulder into the living room and surveyed the small crowd it contained. All of the political 'friends' and acquaintances had left; leaving only a few friends behind. Perry White was making small talk with a morose Oliver who was barely paying attention. Cat Grant was talking to the younger Jimmy Olsen. Martha's expression softened as she watched the young photographer. He was so similar to his older brother. She felt a surge of pride for Clark and Lois taking the boy under their proverbial wings.

"Grana!" Little Jonathan crawled into the kitchen more quickly than should have been possible. Martha checked that no one had seen as put the now clean dishes down and knelt to pick up her beloved grandson.

"You need to slow down Sweetheart." She told him quietly. "Unless you're with family you can't do that. Understand?"

"Ta!" He was too young to comprehend the need for secrecy. Too young to ever remember his mother.

"Sorry Mrs Kent. He got away from me." Tess entered the room carrying a cardboard box. "It's all the alcohol in the house." She answered Martha's unasked question. "Oliver was eyeing off the brandy so I thought I'd take it away before he got wasted."

"Fair enough. He's taking over Clark's patrol this week isn't he?" Martha lowered her voice to a near whisper."

"Yeah. I don't think a drunk Oliver would do anyone any good." Tess answered as she shoved the box into a cupboard on top of the fridge. " Think he'll look there?"

"No."

"Oh and Perry was looking for you. I think he wants to leave." Tess said. "I'll take him if you want to talk." She reached for Jonathan.

"Thanks." Martha passed him to her. "I should probably thank him for keeping the press away today." She started walking to the living room when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Tess said and opened the door

"Hello Tess. Fancy seeing you here." President Elect Lex Luthor smirked at her. "Wait, I forgot, you're the nanny aren't you? Hello Jonathan." He ran a finger down the baby's face. "You look like exactly like your father." Jonathan frowned at the stranger touching him, turned his head and bit him. "Ow. Little…" Lex quickly retracted his finger. "I see you have your mother's attitude too."

Tess held back a smirk. Jonathan was getting a treat for that one. Lois had trained her son well. "Lex, what are you doing here?" Tess leant against the doorway, her poker face rivalling her half-brothers'.

"I came to pay my respects. Aren't you going to let me in?"

Behind her, Tess heard a distinctive, "Hell no," from Oliver.

Tess raised an eyebrow. "You came to pay your respects with a four man escort?" "Expecting resistance?"

"I'll be happy to give it to him." Oliver muttered darkly. Tess refrained from rolling her eyes. Oliver could be juvenile sometimes.

"It's normal for me." Lex shrugged. "Are you going to let me in or are you going to leave the President Elect standing outside?"

Martha stepped forward. "Lex, I appreciate your condolences but I think it would be better if you left." She stood beside Tess, a united front.

"As you wish Senator." Lex said, inclining his bald head toward her. "Please pass on my condolences to Clark."

"Goodbye Lex." Tess unhooked the door with her foot and kicked it shut. A minute later they heard the car start up and leave.

Perry stood up. "Come on Grant. We should be going too."

"Yes boss. Jimmy, do you want a lift?" Cat asked, standing and smoothing out her skirt.

"If it's no bother." Jimmy stood and looked to Mrs Kent. "We're so sorry for your loss."

"If you ever need anything…" Cat trailed off, the offer made clear.

"Thank you both of you. Take care on the roads." Martha moved out of the way to let them through.

"Tell CK I'm thinking of him." Jimmy added as he left.

Perry walked up to Martha and took her hands. "Martha, if you need _anything _please call me. And tell Clark that he can take as much time as he needs."

"Thank you Perry." Martha smiled at her old friend.

"That goes for you too Ms Mercer." Perry said as he grabbed his jacket. "If you need anyone to baby sit the little tyke…"

"You'll be first on the list." Tess smiled. She took Jonathan's hand and waved good bye with it. "Say bye bye Jonathan."

"Ba Ba." Jonathan crowed loudly.

"Close enough." Perry shrugged and left.

"Do you two need a hand cleaning up?" Oliver asked. "I have a few minutes until I need to leave."

Tess smiled at him. "You can change Jonathan."

He balked at the suggestion. "I think I'll just go. If I see Clark…"

"Tell him to come home." Martha suggested. "I'm getting worried. It's not like him to disappear like this."

"Will do." Oliver kissed her on the cheek. "Take care."

"You to."

Tess through an arm around him, giving him a sideways hug. "Don't do anything reckless Oliver. Please."

Oliver gave her a lopsided grin. "Me? Reckless?" Tess glared at him. "I'll be safe." He promised and walked out the door.

"Do you think he'll be ok?" Tess asked Martha.

"As well as any of us." Martha replied sadly. "Can you put Jonathan down? He's missed his bed time already."

"Sure." Tess left. "Come on Baby let's get you to bed. Maybe one of us will sleep tonight." She walked up the stairs, her free hand gently rubbing circles on Jonathan's back. She turned to up the hall and found Clark sitting on the floor opposite his bedroom door.

"Clark? How long have you been here?"

He looked up through bloodshot eyes. "A few hours or so. He asleep?"

"Not yet. I was just about to put him down." Tess shifted on the spot, unsure of what to do.

He waved her passed. "Go ahead, he needs the sleep."

She quickly went into the nursery, changed him and placed him in the cot. She kissed his forehead and pulled up the blanket. "Essa…" Jonathan garbled,. "Essa say."

"I'll stay for a little while Baby." Tess turned off the lights. "I've got to sleep too.." She turned of the lights so only the nightlight was on. She sat with him, singly softly until he fell asleep. "Sweet dreams baby." She backed quietly out of the room

"Is everyone gone?" Clark asked.

Tess nearly jumped. "Yes. Perry said you could take as much time as you need."

Clark nodded. "That's good. I can't go back there tomorrow." _She should be there_.

"Maybe later," She murmured as she sat down next to him.

"Maybe."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Clark floated in empty space. The cacophony that was life on Earth could not be heard here. There were no sirens blazing. No children laughing. No screams for help. No wedding vows being said.

Clark allowed the silence to wash over him; the emptiness he'd come to appreciate over the last 3 months returning slowly. Here he didn't have to move on. He could stay in the same place and no one would notice. Perry wouldn't be calling to inquire as to when Clark Kent would be making a return to the _Daily Planet_. Jimmy wouldn't be calling to see if he needed any photos taken. Cat wouldn't be dropping off any cookies. Jonathan wouldn't be screaming for his father's attention. And Tess wouldn't look at him with pity.

Superman didn't deserve pity. He'd made more mistakes in the last 8 months than he had for the past 4 years. Superman wasn't allowed to make mistakes; he was Superman. He'd heard people start to whisper. _Superman is loosing… I could've died…. He loved her, wouldn't you…? _He needed to be better. He needed to be stronger. People – the world- depended on him. And he couldn't move on.

Clark closed his eyes. He was tired. He wanted Lois back. She helped him keep him walk the tightrope that was his life. He didn't know how to do it without her. He hadn't been back to the_ Planet_ since; hadn't been Clark Kent since. He was only Superman but Superman needed Clark Kent.

His concentration faltered and gravity pulled him down back into the upper atmosphere. At once the sounds accosted him. Clark zoned in on Indonesia. Another volcano. He sighed as he flew towards the island nation. He needed Clark Kent back again.

"No Jonathan, don't eat that. That's Krypto's food, not yours. It's yucky." Tess picked up Jonathan, taking the now soggy dog biscuit out of his hands.

"Poto. Poto. Poto." Jonathan chanted, clapping his hands together. Sometimes Tess wanted some of his endless energy and cheerfulness.

"Yes. It's Krypto's food." She replied, deciphering the baby talk with the ease of someone with practice. She lifted him into his high chair and deposited a plate of scrambled eggs in front of the dark-haired baby. "And this is your food. Scrambled eggs: your favourite."

Jonathan picked up his plastic spoon with all the grace of a one and a half year old, scooped up some eggs and flung it at Tess. He laughed gleefully as it landed in her long hair.

Tess huffed, fingering at her hair attempting to find the gooey egg. "You think that's funny don't you?" Her response was a garble of incoherent syllables. "Well I don't." She picked the egg from her hair and chucked in the open bin. "But you don't even understand me yet do you?"

"GoGo."

"I'm going to take that as a no. You know I think I've had less intellectual conversations with the LuthorCorp Board. So keep this up and we'll make a genius out of you yet."

"Ra!" He started banging on the table with the spoon. The phone in the hall rang, its shrill noise starling them both. "Phan. Phan."

"Phone." Tess corrected as she hurried to answer it. "Kent Residence. Tess speaking."

"Ah Miss Mercer, Perry White here." Perry said down the line. "Is Clark in?"

"No sorry. He's out running some errands." Tess lied easily, watching Jonathan fling more eggs around the kitchen. That was going to be fun to clean up.

Perry sighed. She could practically see him ease back in his chair and pinch the bridge of his nose. "Do you know if he's planning on coming back any time soon? It's getting hard to keep his position open."

Tess turned away from Jonathan. He didn't need to hear this, even if he couldn't understand. "Perry, you know that I can't answer that. It's Clark's decision. I'm not getting involved." _I've done enough manipulating to last a hundred lifetimes and I'm not doing it any more, _she thought to herself.

"You and I both know that until he comes back, Clark won't be able to move on. In fact, I remember Lois ordering him to come back."

Tess closed her eyes tightly, trying to think of what to say. "Lois thought that Clark would work through the pain." _And he is, as Superman. _

"Well can you talk to him? He's too good to be wasting his life as a farmer." Perry said vehemently.

"I know that Perry. I'll tell him you called."

"Thank you. If he doesn't call back in a week I'm going to have no choice but to hire someone else." Perry told her morosely. "I don't want to loose Kent too. Goodbye Tess"

"Bye Perry." Tess hung up, feeling slightly guilty for lying to the old man. Perry White was almost family to Lois and Clark and smart enough to know how to keep a secret. But it wasn't her secret to tell. It was only hers to protect, just like Jonathan.

"I take it that was Perry." Clark said from behind.

Tess jumped about a foot in the air before whirling on the Kryptonian. "What have I told you about sneaking up on me?" She demanded hotly. "And yes that was Perry. How much did you hear?"

He shrugged. "Most of it. He wants me back soon or I'm out of a job." He looked around the now chaotic kitchen. Runny scrambled egg now littered many different surfaces. "I'm going to guess that breakfast didn't go so well?"

"And what gave you that impression?" Tess snarked sarcastically. "And don't change the subject. Perry wants to help you."

"The last person that tried to help me smoked herself to death; forgive me if I don't want to subject another friend to that fate." He picked up Jonathan and threw him into the air, catching him with ease. Jonathan laughed. "What do you say Buddy? How about we get you cleaned up?"

"Avoiding the problem won't make it go away." Tess told him, ignoring the change in subject. "And Perry doesn't smoke."

Clark glared at her pointedly. "You know it's not about smoking." He walked into the adjoining lounge room and put Jonathan in his play pen.

"No it's not," Tess agreed, following him out. "It's about you not trusting that people have your back and not to go and die on you. Lois was supposed to be your forever but she died. So now you want to hide out on the farm and just leave to be Superman. Am I right?"

"Tess, I can't go back there." Clark turned to her, his eyes wet. "I know I'm supposed to but I can't."

Her face softened, anger at his stubbornness melting away. "Clark…"

"I've hovered above the roof so many times but I can't go in because she's there."

"She's dead Clark. She's not there."

"But her spirit is. The _Planet_ was her life. She loved it. Remember how much she cried when she had to leave? That place was her second home, as much as Watchtower was to you."

"I know that." Tess took a step towards him. "I also know that Lois' life was you and Jonathan. She wouldn't want you to hide behind your cape forever, pushing people away."

"It's hard. Everyone I've trusted or loved is dead."

"Jonathan is still here." Tess pointed to the boy behind him. Jonathan wasn't paying attention. He was playing with a teddy bear his own size. "Your mother is here. Oliver is here. You love them. You trust Perry and Cat and Jimmy don't you? And they're still here."

"So what?" Clark demanded, his voice rising. I pretend Lois never existed? Keep going as if nothing has happened?"

"No, you keep going because Lois would want you to. Because she told you to," Tess kept her voice even, trying to reason with the grieving man.

"Tess I…" Clark trailed off, a distant look in his eyes. "I have to go. There's been a mine collapse in Australia."

"Go. We'll talk later." Her tone made in an order. Clark zoomed passed her without another word. Tess collapsed on the couch. "Well that could have gone better."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Tess had a point but he was loath to admit it. He was hiding behind his cape, hiding from his friends and from his life.

Clark stood on the footpath outside the _Daily Planet_ gazing up at the multistorey building. The bronze façade he'd walked through a thousand times glared at him, a little more worn that he remembered. People entered and left the revolving doors, not even glancing at the tall, dark haired man with the black glasses.

It felt strange to wear the glasses again, heavy yet comforting but it was necessary. It was a part of Clark Kent, a part of him. Lois would murder him if he forgot such an integral piece of his disguise. She wouldn't be there to frantically mime 'glasses' at him when he forgot anymore. He'd have to remember for himself.

A familiar figure walked out the doors. "Kent!" Perry called as he walked over to the younger man.

"Perry? How did you know I was here?" Clark asked, confused. For a human, it would be impossible to see him from Perry's 15th floor office.

"I'm Chief Kent. I know everything." Perry replied evenly, now standing beside Clark. "I take it Tess talked some sense into you."

"In a manner of speaking," Clark said, staring up at the building. He could see his office on the 10th floor and the dust that had gathered in his absence.

"Good. You're too good a reporter to spend your days as a farmer." Perry remarked. "I'm still awaiting your Pulitzer winning piece."

Clark glanced at his boss. "I'm not even in the building yet."

"But you will be. You just need a swift kick to get you there," Perry told him. "You are smart kid Kent, just a little lost."

"More than a little Chief." Clark admitted softly, stuffing his hands sullenly into his dress trousers' pockets.

"So go in there and find your way." Perry gave him a pat on the back that could have passed for a slight push. "And don't call me Chief!"

Clark almost chuckled. "Yes sir." He took a few steps forward then paused. He took a deep breath to calm himself and walked through the door. Clark Kent was back.

Clark completed his last fly over a relatively quiet Metropolis, grateful for the lack of calls for help. Being the intrepid reporter was more tiring than he remembered.

He veered west. Heading towards familiar rows of con as the world passed below him in a blur of dark blues and greens with the occasional street light guiding his way. Clark heard Jonathan crying before he reached the farm. _He shouldn't be up at this hour_, he thought worriedly.

A soft melodic voice started singing. "Hush little baby, don't say a word. Tessa's gonna buy you a mocking bird." Clark landed lightly on the front step. Through the open door he saw Tess turn towards him as she kept on singing. "And if that mocking bird don't sing, Tessa's gonna buy you a diamond ring." She was pacing up and down the lounge room holding Jonathan to her chest and tracing small circles on his back.

"Hasn't he gone to sleep yet?" Clark asked walking into the room.

"Nightmare," Tess answered quietly between verses of the nursery rhyme. Jonathan hiccuped into her shoulder, his cries dying down. "There's spaghetti on the stove." She nodded towards the kitchen.

"Thanks. I'm starving." Clark ambled to the stove, heating the pot with his heat vision as he went. He grabbed a spoon and dug in.

"There's this little human device you may have heard of called a bowl…" Tess trailed off teasingly, a small smile playing on her lips. As soon as she stopped moving, Jonathan started to fuss.

"Do you want me to take him?"

"No. I'm good." Tess went back to pacing up and down the kitchen, humming under her breath. "I see your wearing glasses again."

"Am I?" Clark took them off and put them on the kitchen table. "I forgot I was wearing them. I went to _the Planet_ today."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "I thought…"

"I needed to." Clark said between mouthfuls. "I didn't realise how much I missed it." He was downplaying the event and they both knew it.

"Lois would be happy." Tess told him then continued on hesitantly. "Clark… I'm sorry if I was a bit hard on you."

"You were. But I needed it. I need someone to keep me in line on the straight and narrow."

She looked at him with sombre eyes. "I'm hardly straight and narrow. My moral compass is so screwed up south became north."

"But now it's mostly north again. You're trying. We're both trying." Clark said sincerely. "I noticed that you didn't include yourself on the list of people I trust. You should."

She froze; her eyes lit up with surprise and a hint of happiness. She opened her mouth but no sound came out.

"I trust you with my son. That's the ultimate trust." He told her simply.

"Clark..." She didn't know what to say. Jonathan started to cry and she went back to pacing. Her mind was racing. _He trusts me. He trusts me._

"We may have had a tumultuous start but we're friends now. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"I know it's just…" She struggled to find words. "Hard," she finished lamely.

Clark nodded, somewhat understanding. He'd heard and pieced together enough about Tess' past to comprehend the trust issues at play. They fell into a companionable silence only broken by Jonathan's occasional whimpers. Clark spoke up suddenly. "I haven't said thank you have I?"

She shook her head, confused. "What?"

"For everything."

Tess frowned. "Clark it's two am. You're gonna have to be less cryptic."

"You've practically been raising Jonathan since Lois… got sick and keeping everything here going. You and Oliver organised the funeral. You take care of me when I need it and I haven't said thank you."

"What's gotten into you? You're acting like…"

"Clark?" He offered and she nodded. "Maybe it's sinking in that this is the hand I was dealt so now I have to deal with it."

He could feel her eyes analysing him as if trying to see his soul. "If you say so." She yawned.

He walked towards her. "Here I'll put Jonathan to bed. You sit before you fall over."

She passed over the now sleeping baby. "I'm not that tired."

"Sit," he ordered. She obeyed, sinking into a chair at the kitchen table. "Good girl."

She pulled a face at his patronisation at his back disappearing up the stairs.

Clark walked into the blue nursery and to the cot under the windowsill, navigating the litter of toys on the floor. "I guess you were a busy boy today, huh?" He gently lowered his son in the cot and pulled the thin summer blanket over his shoulder. He kissed his forehead. "Sleep well Buddy."

He went back downstairs to find Tess asleep at the kitchen table, her head resting atop her arms. He picked her up gently, careful not to wake her. She tensed immediately and started to stir. "Relax Tess. It's just me." He whispered softly. She relaxed slightly and fell back asleep. Clark carried up her up the stairs bridal style.

She seemed lighter than he remembered and he could feel her ribs through the cotton T-shirt she wore. _I'm going to have to take better care of you_, he thought. He walked back into the nursery and put her on the camp bed that she'd claimed for herself when she started staying the night. She curled up automatically into the foetal position as Clark pulled a sheet over her.

He left the room noiselessly. He stopped at the doorway, peering back in at his sleeping son and friend. A sudden idea struck him and he immediately knew how to say thank you properly.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Wakey Wakey sleeping beauty."

Tess rolled over, swatting at the annoying voice attempting to wake her. Her hand connected with a strong jaw.

"Ow. You know that violence isn't always the answer don't you Tess?"

"Oliver." Tess opened an eye to glare at the handsome blonde billionaire standing over her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm taking you and junior to the zoo." He answered cheerfully. "Now up and at 'em."

Tess sat up, unsure if she was hearing right. "The zoo." She repeated.

Oliver nodded. "Yup."

"You who hates animals is taking me and Jonathan to the zoo." She looked at him incredulously.

He flung the sheet off her. "Things change. Now get up. Breakfast is on the table."

"You cooked breakfast?"

"Don't look so worried; it's insulting." Oliver told her, holding out her dressing gown. "Clark cooked it before he left."

She stood and took the dressing gown. "Where'd he go?" It was a Saturday; even Clark Kent didn't work Saturdays at _the Planet_.

"Hardware store. Said he wanted to fix up some things." Oliver answered over his shoulder as they descended the stairs.

"Essa!" Jonathan called from his high chair. The chair was positioned it was clearly visible from both the kitchen and lounge room so he could see everything but, more importantly, so the adults could see him.

"What am I? The doorman?" Oliver demanded playfully, a mock hurt expression on his face.

"Unca Ollie." Jonathan pointed at him. "Silly."

Tess laughed while Oliver looked put out. "What have you been saying to my godson?"

"The truth." Tess replied cheerfully, taking her seat at the table and digging into her cereal.

"Essa! Zoo." Jonathan declared, visibly excited. "See fons."

Oliver frowned. "Do you mean lions?"

"No he means dolphins." Tess answered.

"Brainwashing him already?" Oliver teased.

"At least I didn't give him a bow and arrow set." Tess retorted, remembering the chaos the baby sized gift had caused with a smile.

"How was I supposed to know that it was for kids 3 and over?"

Tess snorted. "Read the label." There was a 'duh' her tone.

"Eat up and shut up." Oliver told her flippantly, ignoring her statement. "We gotta go soon."

"So why are we going to the zoo again?" She asked between mouthfuls.

"Do I have to have a reason?" Oliver asked, collecting the now empty plate.

"You always have a reason, Oliver."

He ignored the implicit jibe at their past, turning to put the dishes in the sink. "Can't a guy spend a day with his family?"

"I suppose so." She watched Oliver with his back to her. He was planning something. She was sure of it.

The Metropolis zoo was packed. They past a myriad of families strolling around the park. The crowded paths becoming harder to navigate with Jonathan trying to escape them. "Not so fast Baby." Tess plucked him up off the ground as he started moving at a non-human speed.

Oliver looked around to make sure no one saw. "Who knew the zoo was so popular." He commented.

"Some people like animals." Tess told him as they ambled towards the tiger enclosure. "They remind them of certain people." She looked at him with a pointed teasing expression.

"Ha ha." He drawled. "Look Jonathan, tigers." He pointed the three orange and blacked stripped tigers lounging around in the grass behind the fence.

Jonathan mimicked his godfather's action. He pointed at the tiger and yelled, "Kitty!"

"Big kitty." Oliver agreed with a smile. The boy was adorable.

"My kitty. Kitty play" Jonathan squirmed in Tess' arms, trying to get loose so he could play with the tigers. Tess winced as his foot connected with her ribcage.

"Easy buddy." Oliver took him out her arms before he could seriously hurt her. "You don't wanna hurt Tess." He whispered to the boy.

Jonathan looked up at him questioningly then calmed down a fraction. "Wanna play." He pouted.

People around them laughed at his antics. "You'll be mince meat dearie." An elderly woman told him with a smile.

"You don't want to play with them." Tess said gently, also holding back a smile. "They're too big."

"Me big."

Tess chuckled. "Not big enough."

Oliver shifted the boy onto his shoulders so he could see the tigers better. "I'll tell you what buddy. You be good for Tess and Daddy and when you're as strong Daddy, I'll buy you a tiger."

"Tiger?" Jonathan repeated, not fully understanding anything but the word.

"Oliver…" Tess complained. Knowing the man-child as she did, the promise may actually be fulfilled. _That's gonna be fun. _

"Bribery and corruption. Why am I not surprised?" Lex Luthor said from behind them. Everyone in the viewing room turned to stare at him. He looked out of place in his suit and tie compared to the jeans and T shirts everyone else wore.

"Just taking a leaf out of your book, Lex." Oliver replied lightly. "Your family did write the book on it, right?"

"Careful," Lex warned with a small smirk. "My sister may take offence to that."

"None taken," Tess said with a rivalling smirk. She remembered how to play his game even if she didn't want to.

Lex held out a hand to her. "Care to take a walk?"

"She's not going anywhere with you." Oliver moved in front of her protectively. People were starting to watch the spectacle with interest. It wasn't everyday you saw the future President argue with his somewhat estranged sister.

"I can speak for myself Oliver." Tess told him coolly, walking forward. "You have 1 minute." They couldn't afford any longer or any more people to stare at them. Jonathan's secret needed to be protected.

Lex steered her into a private corner of the room. "I should have predicted the animosity. We didn't part on good terms."

"You have 55 seconds left." Tess told him, watching Oliver and Jonathan take a seat at a table. Oliver nodded to her, letting her know he had her back. She mentally started counting down. _54, 53_…

"It's simple. I'm going to be the President so I won't have time to run LuthorCorp so I'm giving it back to the person I trust: you."

Tess stopped thinking, shocked. "You trust me?"

The bald man nodded. "Yes. You ran the company efficiently in my previous absence, apart from the merger."

"I seem to remember certain cameras." Tess' voice dropped in volume to a near whisper. "Bionic cameras. In my eyes."

"An insurance policy. I barely knew you then." He shrugged it off cavalierly. "Won't happen again."

"No, it won't." Tess declared, standing up to the man that had saved and destroyed her. "I'm not your blind lackey anymore Lex. I'm not that naïve."

"You're naïve enough to believe in redemption." He took a step towards her, invading her personal space. "That is what you're trying to do, isn't it? Erase all your demons in your heart by helping Clark." He began to whisper in her ear. "If Clark knew the things you've done, do you think he would let you raise his child?"

She froze at the low blow, her mind racing and doubts only eased last night surfaced with a vengeance. Her eyes found Jonathan and he smiled at her. All doubts left her mind. _It's the ultimate trust_, Clark's words floated back to her. She regained her composure and a slow deliberate smirk played on ruby lips. She gave her half brother a cold look. "Are you that desperate Lex? No one else wants your dirty washing?" She leant over and whispered in his ear. "I am not your family. I will _never _work for you again." Tess turned on her heel and left the President Elect in her wake.

Seeing her approach, Oliver stood up and passed her Jonathan. "You okay?"

She hugged Jonathan, breathing in his scent, trying to suppress the pain Lex made her remember. "I will be." Jonathan babbled incoherently and she almost smiled. "Can we just go?" She looked up at Oliver, her emerald eyes almost pleading with him.

"Sure." Oliver led the way out, following the winding path. After a minute he asked the question he'd been waiting to ask. "What did he want?"

"To give me my old job back."

Oliver's eyebrows shot skywards. "Really?"

She nodded. "Can we just go home now?"

"How about we go see the dolphins?" Oliver suggested, his fingers fidgeting slightly.

Tess' narrowed her eyes. "What are you planning?" She asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." A knowing smirk gave him away.

"It's not your surprise is it?"

He grinned broadly. "Nope."

Clark stood back and admired his handiwork. He was impressed with himself, it had exceeded his expectations. The doubt starting creeping in as he heard Oliver's 4WD pull up the drive. _Maybe I should have done red instead of blue, _he thought_. Maybe she'll hate it. _

"Oliver, is the blind fold necessary?" He heard Tess ask. "I can't see a thing."

Oliver laughed. "That's the point. Just wait a second. I have to get Jonathan out of this contraption. And stop trying to peak."

"I hate surprises." Tess grumbled under her breath.

"I wouldn't have guessed. " Oliver drawled dryly, finally freeing Jonathan from the car seat.

"You'll like this one." Clark told her, walking up to her.

"Dada!" The baby squealed seeing his father.

"Clark?" Tess asked unnecessarily.

"Watch the step here." He guided her up the front stairs. "Turn." He looked back over his should. "You have Jonathan Oliver?"

"Yes." Oliver told him, carrying Jonathan in the door.

"Do I get a hint?" Tess asked.

"It's something that you'll need now that you basically live here." Clark answered cryptically.

"Is it a new bed?"

Clark laughed. "Kinda." He positioned her in front of a door at the end of the hallway. "Okay you can open your eyes now."

She eagerly took off the blindfold and stared at what as in front of her. A door. She frowned. "That wasn't there this morning."

"Wasn't it?" Clark couldn't hide his grin. "Open it."

She complied, her expression changing from confusion to shock then delight as she processed what was she saw. Tess turned to him, a mega watt smile lighting up her face. "You built me a room?"

"Yep." He nodded proudly. It was as big as the master bedroom upstairs with 3 white walls and an ocean blue feature wall. A queen sized bed was guarded by two nightstands and a vase of red roses rested atop of one.

"Thank you." She threw her arms around him and held him tight. "I love it. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure." He replied honestly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Crack. Clark was woken by the sound of breaking wood. He flung out of bed, running to the source of the noise. Jonathan's room. He swung the door open with such force that it nearly fell of its hinges, looking for the noise's source. And he found it.

Jonathan sat in the middle of the room with two wood bars from his cot in his hands. He looked up with pleading eyes, a little frightened of the commotion. "Dada."

Clark calmed immediately, relieved there was no intruder and everyone was safe. It was only his super powered son getting into mischief. He'd pulled enough bars off his cot that he was able to crawl through the hole and escape. Clark picked him and put Jonathan back in his cot. "If this is what you're like now, you're gonna be a handful when you're a teenager aren't you?"

Jonathan gave him an innocent smile and reached for his father. "Dada. Story."

"No. Jonathan sleep." Clark mimicked his son's baby talk. It wasn't doing anything to improve Jonathan's speech development, probably damaging it, but it was fun.

"Story," He demanded, pouting. Jonathan had proved to be as stubborn and strong willed as his parents. There was no compromising when he was like this.

Clark sighed and sat in the chair put next to the cot for this reason. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess-"

"Essa!" Jonathan chimed in.

Clark chuckled. "A beautiful princess called _Princess Essa_," he stressed the words and Jonathan giggled. "And she was locked up by her evil stepmother and forced to work as…"

At dawn, Clark woke with a start. He'd fallen asleep telling the story. He rolled his neck, working out the kinks and realised something was amiss. It was too quiet. Clark looked over to see that his son's cot was empty. "The stealthy little…" He x-rayed the room to check if Jonathan was hiding there but it was empty.

Clark checked all of the upstairs rooms before he heard the patter of little footsteps downstairs. _Found you._

He took the stairs slowly, not wanting to surprise the boy into screaming. Tess would kill him for scaring her like that. Clark rounded the corner in time to see Jonathan disappear into Tess' room. _Crap._

Clark rushed into the room, trying to avert his son from waking the woman. Nightmares made Tess volatile to wake at night. He stopped, knowing he was too late, watching Jonathan cautiously climb up onto the bed. The boy crawled up to the head of the bed and nestled next to Tess. Clark held his breath but she didn't stir. He exhaled, relieved and started to smile. The scene before him was endearing; they looked like a family.

"You do realise you're staring." Tess spoke up, startling him out of his thoughts. She bit back a smile when he jumped.

"He woke you."

"Well he's not exactly stealthy is he?" She ran a hand through Jonathan's dark baby hair. Tess caught Clark's embarrassed expression. "He got passed you though."

"Yeah," Clark admitted. He had super-hearing, how did he not hear?

"Don't beat yourself up. I'm used to being woken up by little noises. You're not."

Clark changed the subject. "What are you doing today?"

"Oliver wants me to drop by the office and help him with some things. What about you? Chasing any hot stories?" She said, using the vernacular she learnt at _the Planet_.

"Cat wants me to help her on one. Probably do that." Clark shrugged nonchalantly.

"Want me to come by at lunch and save you from overdosing on saccharine sweet?" Tess asked with a glint of humour in her eyes. She remembered the blonde reporter and her amusing and somewhat irritating antics well.

"I'll call you if I do." Clark smiled and leant against the door frame. He nodded at Jonathan. "He's asleep again."

"He'll sleep anywhere." Tess said. "Yesterday he fell asleep at the mall."

"Really? I wish I could do that." Sleep was evading him at the moment.

"I know, it would make everything easier."

"It would." Clark looked out the bay window to the lightening sky. "I should do a fly over before Cat ties me down."

"You could always point out a squirrel and she'll run away screaming. She's terrified of them." Tess suggested lightly.

"Maybe." He leant over and kissed Jonathan on the head. Clark zoomed out the door and Tess watched a red-blue blur streak skywards.

5 hours later and Clark was seriously considering taking up Tess' offer. Cat was chugging caffeine like it was water in a desert and speaking so fast he was starting to have trouble understanding her. "So what," he asked. "You want to go undercover to catch this senator in the act?"

"Yep." She nodded confidently. "And I want you to be there in case anything goes wrong. Which it won't, cos I'm totally prepared. I've been reading this how to guide for acting and it's really helping. I think I'm better than Jennifer Anniston, which honestly isn't that hard."

Clark resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This was going to be a disaster. "So where are we going undercover again?"

"A strip club." Upon seeing Clark's face fall, she continued. "But I don't plan on doing anything like that. I'll just get my photos and vamoose…."

Clark didn't hear her. Images of stars and strips were floating through his head. _Lois…. _A phone's shrill ring interrupted Cats monologue and Clark from his reverie. Clark snatched it up quickly. "Kent."

"Jonathan's gone." Tess said, panic obvious in her voice.

"Sorry Cat, I've got to take this." He walked out of earshot. "What do you mean gone?" Clark's voice dropped low. _This can't be happening,_ he thought starting to panic_. I can't loose him too._

Tess spoke fast, anxiety speeding up her words. "He was throwing a tantrum and he ran out through the door. I can't find him anywhere in the yard."

"I'll be right there." Clark hung up and ducked into a copy room before zooming to the farm. It looked like a war zone. There was a Jonathan sized hole in the front door and through it Clark could see the mess inside. The TV was lying on the floor, its screen shattered, books littered the floor and the lamps had been tossed aside like sticks.

Tess ran out to meet him, pale faced. "I'm so sorry."

"When did he go?"

"4, maybe 5 minutes ago. I thought he'd just gone to the barn but he wasn't there." Tess answered quickly. "Clark I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." Clark told her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Now stay here in case he comes back." He launched skywards, eyes looking for his missing son. Tess was right; Jonathan wasn't in the yard. Clark flew south, checking the river first then the highway. His heart was racing, adrenaline flowing. _I can't loose him. _He spotted a familiar red shirt amidst a sea of corn and swooped down. "Jonathan!" Relief swept through him.

"Dada!" Jonathan cried, running to him.

Clark caught him and held him tight, spinning in a circle. He started laughing with relief and joy. "I love you Buddy. Don't do that ever again."

"Sowie." Jonathan said into his shoulder.

Clark leant back so he could see his son's tear stained face. "We should get you back. Tess is really worried." _Which may be an understatement. I've never seen her like that, _he added silently.

Jonathan's bottom lip started quivering. "Essa mad."

"A bit," Clark said honestly. "But she will be very, _very_ happy to see you. You gotta say sorry though and never run away like that again."

He was too young to understand the consequences of his actions. "Dada."

"Let's get you home." Clark flew home, his pulse slowly going back to normal. That was something he never wanted to go through again. "Tess!" He yelled as he landed. "I found him!"

She sprinted out of the broken front door. "Jonathan!"

Clark passed him over to the relieved woman. "He was out in Miller's field about 20 miles away."

She sighed, hugging the boy close. "Don't do that again." A tear rolled down her cheek.

Jonathan wiped at it. "Essa sad?"

"No. Essa happy." Tess gave a watery smile. "Essa very happy."

Clark smiled. Rarely did he see Tess openly displaying this kind of emotion. She really did love his son. "Everyone's happy."

"But I am seriously considering lojacking you." Tess told Jonathan seriously. He laughed and poked her in the face. "You scared me."

"I think he scared everyone." Clark said, "We're going to have to be more careful now."

"I know."

"I'll run to the hardware store to get something to fix up the door, can you keep him occupied in there?"

"I won't let him out of my sight." Tess promised.

Clark nodded and ran to the store, returning 3 minutes later with plaster board under his arm. He fixed up the door and walked inside. "Tess?" He called.

"In here." Her reply came from her bedroom. Clark opened the door to find them lying on her bed reading Sleeping Beauty. "All fixed?"

"Except for the mess in the lounge room." Clark sat on the edge of the bed; Jonathan crawled over and sat in his lap. "Did he break the TV?"

Tess nodded. "Put his fist through it and threw it on the floor when I said he couldn't watch it."

"I guess no one's watching it tonight." Clark ran a hand through Jonathan's hair, still coming to terms with what he almost lost.

"Obviously." Tess said dryly, watching them.

"Play ball." Jonathan demanded, speaking up suddenly. He shimmed down off Clark's lap and onto the floor. Standing, he looked up expectantly at his father and Tess.

"Maybe later," Clark said. "I've got to go back to work. Cat will be wondering where I am." Jonathan's bottom lip started quivering.

Tess quickly intervened. They had survived one tantrum, they didn't need another one. "How about we finish the story?"

Jonathan thought about it for a moment. "Kay." He agreed reluctantly before grabbing hold of one of Tess' hands and climbing back on the bed.

Clark didn't miss her miniscule wince at the sudden pressure. "What was that?" He asked.

"What was what?" She replied, looking up with an expression that Clark hadn't seen in years. She was hiding something.

"That wince. Are you hurt?"

"Clark, I'm fine. You should get back to work." Tess picked up the book and started to read.

Clark snatched the book away. Two pairs of green eyes looked at him, one in curiosity and the other in anger. "I can tell your hiding something."

"I'm hiding a lot of things. I'm hiding what I got Jonathan for Christmas."

"Stop deflecting the question." Clark told her sternly.

"There's nothing to deflect from Clark." Tess replied coolly. "Now if you don't mind giving me the book back, your son wants his story."

Clark held out the book and Tess reached for it. He grabbed her arm lightly and pulled up her sleave. There was a bruise forming already. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Tess snatched her hand away. "It's nothing. I've had worse."

Clark gave her a hard look. "Tess, you could die and say you've had worse."

"It's nothing. I can handle it." She repeated. "I'm not fragile."

"I know that. It's nothing to be ashamed of Tess, Jonathan's strength is increasing. It's not your fault."

"I know it's not my fault." She was about to add something then looked down at Jonathan who was watching them like the conversation was a tennis match. "We shouldn't be discussing this in front of him."

"Yes you're right." Clark stood to leave and saw the relief in her eyes. He picked up Jonathan and zoomed upstairs, putting him in holey cot. "Don't move." He said and left the room. He sat down on the bed, opposite Tess. "Now we can talk."

"That's not what I meant." She said, narrowing her eyes.

"I know. I'm not leaving until you tell me why you didn't tell me you were hurt. I need to know Tess. I can't have you getting hurt on my watch."

"I'm not your responsibility."

"No, you're my friend." Clark told her gently.

"And friends let friends keep their secrets." Tess retorted, standing up. "I've got to go clean up."

Clark grabbed her uninjured wrist and held her back. "We don't have any secrets anymore."

"Everyone has secrets Clark." Tess told him.

"At least let me strap that wrist. That bruise is bone deep."

She sighed. "Fine." Tess led the way to the kitchen, jumped on a chair and sullenly held out her wrist.

Clark grabbed the first aid kit and removed the bandages. "We have white, brown and the wiggles. Personally, I'd take the Wiggles"

Tess rolled her eyes. "White please."

Clark complied, reaching over and started slowly wrapping her wrist. "Is what Lex said bothering you?"

Tess looked up, surprised. "No."

"Because if you wanted to go back to…"

She cut him off. "I never want to go back." The fervour in her voice shocked him and he worked out why she was hiding the injury.

"You thought that if you got hurt, I would make you leave." The downward glance let him know he was right. "Well I won't." She looked up. "You love Jonathan, anyone can see that and he loves you. Last night I was made up a story for him and he called the princess 'Essa'." He smiled, lifting up her chin with a finger. "You're a part of our lives. I don't care if you're more fragile than us. I do care that you don't tell me when you're hurt."

"Clark, I –"

Clark held up a hand, silencing her. "I know that you're past isn't exactly congruent with trust but trust me when I say that I need you. You're the only other person Jonathan listens too; the only other person who could raise him. Like it or not, you're stuck with us."

Her eyes shone with unshed tears. "Thank you. I think I needed to hear that."

Clark put the bandage clip on, securing the bandage. "Now that that's cleared up, how about I go to Japan and grab some sushi and we can have an early dinner before we clean up this mess. Cat can wait for another day."

Tess nodded, still smiling.

"See you soon." Clark left in a blur, leaving a content Tess behind.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Tess woke with a strangled cry. Heart pounding, she sat up looking wildly around as she slowly remembered where she was. "He's not here." She told her self. "He's dead." _You made sure of that._ She lay back against the pile of pillows, wide awake. She wouldn't be sleeping any more tonight or this morning, she mused checking the luminescent digits on the I-pod dock. 2 o'clock is far too early to be awake.

Tess glanced at the door, half expecting Clark to charge in to check on her as he'd taken to doing the past few weeks. She was glad the door remained shut. As sweet as the farm boy turned super hero could be, the constant attention was beginning to smother her. She wasn't used to it. She was Tess Mercer. She wasn't fragile; she wasn't about to fall to pieces because of a few nightmares. She'd lived through them all already. Their legacies wouldn't kill her anymore than the event did. _Except maybe today._

Sighing Tess rolled onto her side, facing the window. She watched the shadows dance on the window pane, trying not to allow her annoying vivid imagination make shapes out of them. A tiny knock on her door made her jump. "Clark?"

"Essa." Came the quiet reply. Jonathan was obviously trying to not wake his father.

Tess smiled, walking over to open the door to her charge. Clark had been smart enough to put the doorknob out of Jonathan's reach and the boy had been repeatedly told not to use his head as a door opener. Jonathan stood outside her door, a dilapidated teddy in one hand and peering up at her with the puppy dog eyes she couldn't resist. He walked into her room and climbed up onto her bed. "Sometimes I think you think this is your room." She told him with a slight smile. This was what she needed. A distraction from the pain.

He looked up at her, not understanding. "Essa room."

She laughed quietly. "So you do know." Tess slipped back under the covers. "Are you going to sleep or do you want to talk?"

"alk!" Jonathan crowed loudly.

Tess put a finger to her lips. "Shh. You'll wake Daddy."

"Sowie."

"It's ok. He'll just want to know how you escaped your room, again." Tess found it rather amusing how the almost two year old had evaded every measure Clark had employed to keep Jonathan in his room. Short of blue kryptonite, he'd tried everything to no avail. "You're a little Houdini in the making."

"Houdini?" Jonathan repeated the funny sounding word. "Houdini."

Tess smiled at his antics. Maybe the day wouldn't be so bad after all.

Clark felt like banging his head on the table. He'd been with Cat for 12 hours straight and was fighting the desire to strangle her. Her foolproof undercover operation had backfired severely and now they were back to square one.

"What about trying to find the bank accounts?" Cat suggested suddenly. They sat at the kitchen table at the farm, two laptops and hundreds of pages between them. "It can't be that hard, right?"

"It's probably an offshore account. They're almost untraceable." Clark replied, thinking she should've known that. "But you might be on the right track.

"Really?"

"What if we looked for the people behind the cover up? We know that Congressman Phillips covered up the fraud he committed but he must have had help."

"Who are you thinking of?" Cat could see he already had a suspect in mind.

"Lex Luthor."

Cat shook her head. "No way. He's a good man. He wouldn't do something like that. He's going to the President. The President can't be corrupt"

Clark fought the urge to gag. _Why do people always see the good Lex?_ "Trust me. I know him. It's exactly the kind of thing he'd do."

"Oh I forgot about your and Lois' vendetta against him." Cat said, leaning forward. "Isn't it time you let that grudge go? Let bygones be bygones. My Granddaddy said holding a grudge makes you unhappy, not the other person."

Clark bit back what he wanted to say. "Did he now? Well he obviously never met Lex."

"No he didn't." Cat admitted. "But he would have loved to. Granddaddy loved patriotic people like Lex Luthor."

"Did I just walk into an alternate reality?" Tess asked, walking into the room. "I could have sworn someone just called Lex patriotic."

"I did." Cat frowned at her former boss. "Cos he is. Lex Luthor saved this country form destitution and self destruction. And you should have more respect for your brother. He's going to be the President, you know."

Tess took a menacing step towards the blonde reporter. "Listen here Kitty Cat. You may think you know Lex, but you don't. So don't talk about what you don't know."

"Tess…" Clark trailed off warningly.

"I may not know Mr Luthor personally but I know what he does." Cat stood up and faced Tess. "He built up charities, foundations and rebuilt the economy. Does that sound like the plan of a corrupt man to you?"

"You should have been on the campaign trail, Grant. You would've done wonders for the PR boost." Tess replied coolly. She turned to Clark. "I just came in to tell you that Jonathan's asleep so goodnight." She started walking out of the room; she'd had enough of Cat Grant for today.

"Maybe you're just ashamed you're not more like him."

Both Tess and Clark froze at Cat's words. "What," Tess spat. "Did you say?"

Cat continued, a little uneasy. "You wish you could be more like him. When you were in charge of LuthorCorp everyone hated you and now that you're practically forgotten by everyone important, you're jealous."

"Cat, that's a little harsh don't you think?" Clark asked, trying to be the peacemaker. _Not to mention, entirely incorrect_, he added silently.

Tess was seething. "If I were more like Lex, you wouldn't be saying that."

"And why not?" Cat demanded hotly.

"You would be-"

"Tess, that's enough." Clark cut her off. You can't say stuff like that." He warned her.

She gave him a pointed glare and left the room. "Stupid damn gag order." He heard her mumble.

"Wow, I'm sure glad I'm not her sister. Imagine the Christmases." Cat sat back down.

"Cat, that was cruel." Clark admonished her. "You didn't need to say that."

"I was just expressing my political opinion. If she takes it the wrong way, that's her problem." Cat replied. "Now where were we?"

Clark was grateful for the change in topic. "Trying to find solid evidence of the cover up."

"Right, so if we look for the offshore accounts we should be able to find the evidence." Cat continued on with her previous idea.

"It's not going to work. You can't access those kinds of details." Clark told her, feeling as though he was trying to explain something to Jonathan.

"Sure we can. I've got a contact at the Caribbean bank. He'll help us." Cat said cheerfully.

"And what about the other banks?" Clark pointed out.

She waved a hand dismissively. "Don't be a worrywart Clark, be positive. It will all work out." Clark rolled his eyes when she wasn't looking. Cat continued on before looking at the clock. "Oh my gosh, is that the time? I'm sorry Clark I've got to go. I promise my son I'd help him choose a Halloween costume."

Clark frowned. "Is it Halloween soon?" Tess was the one who went crazy for the holidays, trying to give Jonathan the happy memories she never had. It was strange she hadn't mentioned Halloween.

"On Friday." Cat nodded. "Do you have a costume for Jonathan yet?"

Clark shook his head. "No. Tess normally organises that sort of thing."

Cat's eyes lit up with an idea. "I know, you could dress Jonathan up as a pirate. He'd look adorable."

"Maybe. I'll have to talk with Tess."

Cat pointed behind him. "Here she is, ask her now."

"Ask me what?" Tess asked walking down the hall.

"About Jonathan's costume for Halloween. Cat suggested he go as a pirate."

"No pirates." Tess said vehemently. "Absolutely no pirates."

"What do you have against pirates, Tess?" Cat asked. "Don't like Johnny Depp?"

Tess looked at Clark, ignoring the blonde. "I don't care what you organise. Just no pirates." For the second time, she left the room, going upstairs this time.

"Wow. Someone doesn't like pirates." Cat commented. "Lucky you don't have to listen to her."

"What do you mean?"

"Well she's just the nanny isn't she?" Cat asked. "So shouldn't it just be your opinion that matters?"

Clark didn't know what to say. He'd assumed they were almost equals raising Jonathan. "I never thought about that."

"Well you should. She's acting like she's the lady of the house. And Jonathan's practically calling her 'Mommy'. She shouldn't take Lois' place. You might want to think about setting some boundaries before something happens. You never can be too careful with someone like that." Cat suggested.

"I'll think about it." Clark told her, trying to get rid of her. "You have a safe drive home." He opened the front door for her."

"Thanks Clark. Good night." Cat smiled and left.

Clark closed the door and heard the back door open and slam shut. Jonathan cried out at the sudden loud noise. "Tess?" Clark called worriedly. There was no answer. He heard her car start up and drive away. Clark ran out the front door in time to see a blaze of red hair in the driver's seat as Tess drove away. "Tess!" He yelled after her. "Stop!" The car kept on moving, leaving a cloud of dust behind.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Have you ever realised how many violent sayings there are?"

Oliver was halfway through taking off his Green Arrow gear when Tess spoke. "Tess? You scared me half to death. What are you doing here?"

"There's 'I'm going to kill you if you did that. And I'll die if I don't see this. And don't move and I won't hurt you. And I'm sure there are others. I just can't seem to remember them right now. She sat on his green lounge nursing a glass tumbler of what looked like brandy. A half empty bottle sat opposite her on the coffee table. She'd obviously been there for a while. The bottle had been three quarters full when Oliver left that morning. Her mascara had run black –grey rivers down her pale face and she looked up at him expecting an answer.

"How long have you been here?" It was past midnight. Oliver flicked on the lights so he could see better.

She shrugged. "5, 6, maybe 7 o'clock."

Oliver moved the brandy bottle and sat opposite her. She didn't look up. "What happened?"

She looked up, tears in her eyes. "Don't you remember what day it is?"

Oliver mentally went through the days that would make Tess act like this. He slowly realised. "The day we met."

Tess nodded slowly. "Yep. The day my life went to pieces."

Oliver put on a mock-affronted look. "I'm not that bad am I?"

Tess rolled her eyes but didn't chastise him. She was well aware humour was how he coped. "Not any more you're not."

"If you want we can grab the jet and go down to Megan's grave." Oliver offered.

She smiled and leant back in the lounge. "That would be nice." Her eyes fluttered close. "Maybe I'll stay in New Orleans too. It's supposed to be nice this time of year."

"You must be really drunk. You're vocabulary is suffering. Maybe I should cut you off." He joked then realised what she said. "Why would you want to leave Metropolis?"

She shrugged again. "Clark doesn't value my opinion. He took Cat's side when she was accusing me of being Lex so he obviously doesn't trust me."

Oliver shook his head confused. "Clark trusts you. He's said so millions of times. He persuaded me to trust you."

"Actions speak louder than words." Tess said morosely.

"Tess..."

"Don't look at me like that." She snapped. "I should have seen it coming."

"If you talk about it maybe you'll see that he didn't mean it." Oliver suggested.

She stood up, a swaying a little. "So he didn't mean it when he said he'll think about setting boundaries between me and Jonathan, so I wouldn't take Lois' place."

Oliver looked up at her. She was nearly crying again and Tess Mercer rarely cried. It made him want to go find some green kryptonite and punch Clark. She was family now. "You're not trying to take Lois' place. I don't think Clark would have said that."

"Well he did." She replied coldly.

"OK so we'll look into a place in New Orleans for you tomorrow."

"Can't we go now? I don't wanna stay where no one trusts me" She was starting to slur her words. Oliver caught her as she stumbled.

"The only place you're going is bed." He told her, picking her up.

"I'm not that drunk." She grumbled.

Oliver smiled. _There's my spitfire_. "You haven't been drinking for a year. Your system isn't used to it so you're gonna sleep it off and then tomorrow we're gonna go down to Megan's grave."

"Kay." She snuggled into his shoulder as he made the trip to the bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed and pulled the covers over her. He made to leave but she grabbed his wrist. "Stay. I don't want to be alone."

Oliver sighed and climbed into the bed. He couldn't resist those eyes. He'd swear she taught Jonathan how to do them too. "You're gonna yell at me in the morning," He told her.

"No I won't." She replied sleepily, rolling into him.

Oliver tucked an arm around her. "I'll hold you to that." He said to her sleeping form. As soon as he was sure she was asleep, he slipped out of bed and grabbed his mobile from the lounge room. He quickly texted Clark: Tess is safe. You screwed up big time. Don't go looking for her. Pressing send, he walked back to the bedroom and hoped back into bed. _Maybe when she's not drunk I'll be able to talk her out of leaving. _

Five hours later Oliver walked into his en suite carrying a cup of coffee and a glass of water. "Finished taking your trip down the porcelain highway?"

Tess looked up from her spot on the floor. "Coffee." She reached for the cup but he held the water instead.

"Water first."

She glared at him but chugged back the water in a few gulps. "Coffee now."

He handed her the cup. "Well I'm going back to bed for a few hours. There's breakfast in the kitchen if you're hungry."

Tess groaned, holding her stomach. "Don't mention food."

Oliver took pity on her and left the room. A whoosh of air let him know that he wasn't alone. "Clark."

"Oliver." Clark replied curtly. "Where is she?"

"Oliver, do you have…" Tess trailed off as she saw Clark through the doorway.

Clark took in what he was seeing. Tess wore nothing but of Oliver's T shirts and her hair and makeup was dishevelled. Oliver looked equally worse for wear, wearing only boxers. The king sized bed was obviously slept in by two people. His mind jumped to a rash conclusion. "You son of a…"

Oliver realised what Clark was thinking. "Clark, whoa man. Nothing happened. I swear."

Clark stalked towards him, grabbing him by the throat. "She was upset and you took advantage of her." He growled angrily.

"No he didn't." Tess stormed towards him. "If you waited 2 seconds before blindly accusing Oliver he would have told you that I was drunk so I stayed. I didn't sleep with him. So put him down." She enunciated the last words, her voice lowering dangerously.

Clark put Oliver down. "Tess I-"

"Save it Clark. I heard what you said last night." She spat at him. "I don't think we need to discuss it any further. I won't burden you any longer." She turned to go but he sped in front of her, effectively blocking her exit.

"No listen to me. I didn't mean it. I was trying to get rid of Cat."

"What about when she accused me of being Lex? You didn't say anything!" She yelled at him. Oliver backed silently into the bathroom. They needed privacy and he had no place in this argument.

"I was trying to keep the peace. I have to work with Cat." Clark answered exasperated. Why was it so hard to communicate with women? It never goes well.

"And what, you don't have to live with me? Because you can just kick me out when you feel like it?"

"No! I-"He couldn't think of what to say. "I need you."

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "I thought you needed to work with Cat."

"I-"Clark was getting seriously tongue twisted. Everything he tried to say came out wrong. "It's not like that. I need you to help me with Jonathan."

"Because I'm just the hired help aren't I? My opinion is inferior to yours."

"That's not what I meant!" Clark exploded. Tess flinched and backed away from him. "Tess, I'm sorry." He said at her scared, doe eyed expression. "I was trying to get rid of Cat; you know how she can be. I didn't mean to say it. It just slipped out."

"Because you don't trust me."

"I trust you. I told you that." Clark ran a hand through his hair. _How can I explain this to her?_

  
"Actions speak louder than words, Clark. What you didn't wasn't trust. You're thinking about setting boundaries for me aren't you?" She distortedly parroted his words from the previous night.

"I didn't mean it like that."

She threw at lamp at his head which he easily dodged. "Stop saying you didn't meant it!" She screamed furiously.

"I'm sorry, ok? I was an idiot. I don't know what I'm doing half the time. I just know that I need you. You're the one constant in my life since everything went to pieces."

"Cut the sweet talk Kent. It doesn't work on me." She tried to push past him but it was like trying to move a steal wall with bare hands. "Move!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You're going to disappear on us. On Jonathan. I can't let you do that."

She raised an eyebrow. "You can't _let_ me?"

He backtracked quickly. "I didn't mean it like that."

"You seem to be saying that a lot."

"I meant you can't do that to Jonathan. He loves you." Clark looked her in the eyes. She looked away. His eyes were too similar to Jonathan's. "And you love him."

"I'm not going to stay where I'm not wanted." Tess told him.

"You are wanted. Jonathan wants you. Please Tess; he's practically your son." Clark implored softly.

"He's the closest thing to a son I'm ever going to get! Do you think I want to leave him?" She yelled at him.

Clark froze. "What do you mean?"

"Do you know why I don't like pirates?" She asked him suddenly.

Clark frowned, not knowing where this was going. "No."

"I was kidnapped by them and held for 5 weeks. They killed my best friend in front of me. And now it's unlikely that I can ever have children." She spoke softly, anger being replaced by sadness. "Yesterday was 10 years to the day that Oliver saved me."

Clark remembered the story Oliver had told him and realised what she was talking about. "Tess…" He reached out to comfort her but she shrugged him off.

"No, I don't want your pity." She snapped. "Now let me go." He picked her up and she screamed. "Put me down!"

Oliver charged out of the room, too late, but they were gone.

Clark gently put her on her feet and wrapped his jacket around her. They were in an empty suburban street in Washington DC. Townhouses were neatly lined up on the street, cars parked outside under shady trees.

Tess whirled around and slapped his face. "Where the hell are we?"

Clark pointed at a window. "Look."

She turned and saw Jonathan sitting on Martha's lap. Martha was reading him a story and rocking in the rocking chair. "Jonathan." She breathed.

"That could be you." Clark said softly. "I was a stupid jerk and that shouldn't rob you of this."

Tess didn't know what to say. She was still furious and hurt but she loved that little boy so much.

Clark continued. "I should rob Jonathan of a chance to have a mother."

Tess slowly turned back to him. "This is emotional blackmail."

Clark nodded. "I know. I'm desperate. I don't know what else to do. We need you. It's not my bed Jonathan climbs into at night, it's yours. You're a part of the family now. You can't leave us. We wouldn't survive."

Tess turned back to the window, thinking. "You would survive."

"But we wouldn't be happy. I was an idiot and I should learn to keep my mouth shut sometimes. Look, I will do anything to make it up to you. Anything." Clark declared ardently. "Just please don't leave."

Tess sighed. This really was emotional blackmail. She looked up at Jonathan who was smiling at something Martha said. Who was she kidding? She couldn't leave him. That boy had stolen her heart. "I'll stay for Jonathan."

"Thank you." Clark smiled broadly behind her, happy that something had gone right.

"But it doesn't mean you're forgiven." His face fell.

"I have to earn your trust back don't I?" Clark asked.

She nodded, her eyes still not leaving Jonathan.

"I can live with that." Clark said lightly.

Tess turned to him, a devious smirk on her lips. "When you said anything, did you mean _anything_?"

"Ah…" Clark didn't know what he was getting himself into.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

5 months later

"Tess, I'm home." Clark walked through the door, hanging his coat and hat on the hooks on the wall.

"Dada!" Jonathan super sped towards him and flung himself up into his father's waiting arms.

Clark easily caught him and swung him around. "I swear you grow more and more each day. Soon you're gonna be taller than me and Tess."

Jonathan giggled and jumped down, grabbing Clark's hand. "Come look." He almost dragged Clark down the hall to Tess' room. "Essa pretty."

Clark looked down at his son, bemused. "Tess is always pretty."

Jonathan looked at him like that was obvious. "Essa really pretty." He knocked on the door and pushed it open without pausing.

"Jonathan, you're supposed to wait for an answ…" Clark trailed off, seeing Tess sitting at her dressing table, applying her make up. She wore a long green silk dress that matched her eyes perfectly. The cut of the gown emphasised the curves Clark had previously been blind to. "Wow."

She smiled at him in the mirror, blushing slightly. "Thanks."

"See," Jonathan said accusingly. "Essa really pretty."

"You look… amazing. What's the occasion?"

"Oliver needed some arm candy for a Thanksgiving charity gala in Gotham. He called me this afternoon. I can cancel if you need me here…"

Clark shook his head. "You go have fun."

She pursed her red stained lips. "It's a rubber chicken dinner. It's hardly going to be fun. The only reason Oliver is taking me is that he wants someone to hold him back from getting into it with Bruce Wayne. You're late coming home."

"Cat and I finished the article." Clark said cautiously, referring to the night that they had fought. "Perry wouldn't allow any mention of Lex's involvement. Said he didn't want us committing career suicide so early." Clark said, leaning against the doorframe. "It'll be in _the Planet_ tomorrow."

"I'll have to read it then" Tess said as she picked up two different shades of blush. "Which one?"

Clark frowned. "Aren't they the same colour?"

"You're such a man." She laughed then held them up to Jonathan.

"That one." He pointed at the paler one. Jonathan clapped as she applied it. "Pretty Essa. Princess Essa."

"You do look like a Princess." Clark agreed.

"Too bad I haven't found my prince," Tess joked but Clark could see the pain behind the humour. She wanted so badly to be loved.

Jonathan tapped himself on the chest Tarzan style. "Me prince." Tess laughed and picked up him, rubbing noses with him until he laughed too. There was a knock at the door.

Tess put Jonathan on the bed. "That'll be Oliver. You be good for Daddy." She looked at Clark. "And no ordering Pizza."

"How did you know that's what I was planning?"

"I was Watchtower for a reason, Clark." She reminded him with a smile. She ran a hand along his broad shoulders as she walked past him. "See you later."

"Bye Bye!" Jonathan yelled after her. He looked up at his dad hopefully. "Pizza now?"

Clark laughed. "You want me in the doghouse don't you? How about pasta instead?"

"Kay," Jonathan agreed. "Essa gone."

"She'll be back. But for tonight: it's boy's night in."

It was 2 in the morning when Tess walked through the door, torturous high heels in hand. She padded lightly through the kitchen when a shadow in the lounge room caught her eye. She edged closer, trying to determine what it was. It was Clark lying on his back on the floor, fast asleep. Jonathan was sleeping on Clark's chest, a fistful of Clark's shirt in his little hand. Tess smiled – it was adorable.

She grabbed her I-phone from her handbag and took a picture. Clark woke at the shutter's noise. "Tess?"

"Yeah, it's me." Tess whispered back, knowing he'd hear her. "You look so adorable right now."

"I must have fallen asleep." Clark realised groggily.

Tess put her things on the table and went to pick up Jonathan. "I'll put him to bed."

"Mm Kay." Clark agreed; sleep regaining control over the Kryptonian.

Tess gently put Jonathan to bed and made her way back down the stairs to grab her bag. Clark hadn't moved. She leant down and shook him gently. "You gotta get yourself to bed. I can't carry you like I could Jonathan."

"Mm," He rolled onto his side. "You could always join me."

Tess froze, not knowing if he was awake and on red K or dreaming of Lois. "Not tonight."

"Tomorrow then Tess?" His slurring words informed her he was half asleep.

"Your mother's coming for Thanksgiving tomorrow." She reminded him. "What would she say?" Clark didn't reply. She shook him again. "You have to get up or your neck will be sore."

Clark stirred. "Tess? When did you get home?"

"5 minutes ago. We were talking, you don't remember?"

"Nope." He stood up and offered her a hand up. "What did I say?"

"Nothing important." _He was probably thinking of Lois, _she told herself.

"Ok, Good night then." Clark left her standing in the lounge room.

"Good night," she echoed.

The next morning was a flury of activity as they readied the house for Martha's return. "Clark, where do you want the flowers?" Tess addressed the blur of movement in the lounge as he vacuumed the floor at the speed of light.

He paused for a second. "On the table and the mantelpiece."

"Okay. Jonathan, watch the pie ok Baby?" Tess told him as she put the wildflower assortments in place.

"Kay Essa." The little boy avidly watched the oven, taking the woman at her word.

"Well aren't you busy." Martha commented walking through the door.

Clark stopped vacuuming. "Mom, you're early!"

"Is that any way to greet your mother Clark Kent?" Martha asked with a smile.

Clark walked over and gave her a hug. "I've missed you Mom."

"Me too, Sweetie. Me too."

"Granna!" Jonathan was a blur as he ran to his grandmother.

"Hello Sweetheart." Martha hugged her grandson tightly. "You're so big now."

"Like Dada n Essa!" Jonathan said, grinning.

"Yes. Like Daddy and Tess." Martha replied with a smile.

"It's good to see you again, Senator Kent." Tess smiled at the older woman.

Martha put Jonathan down and held out her arms. "Come here." Tess obeyed with a smile. Hugs weren't common for her. "Now has my son been taking good care of you?"

"Mo-om." Clark complained, slightly embarrassed.

"Clark's been good Senator Kent." Tess answered, getting the pie out of the oven. "Is blueberry still your favourite?"

"Yes." Martha smiled at the detail Tess remembered.

"It's not as good as yours..."

"Are you kidding? It's amazing." Clark gushed then realised what he'd said. The two women turned gave him a pointed look. "I mean… not as good as yours…" He realised he couldn't say anything without offending one of them.

"Stop digging Clark, you're about to hit China." Tess told him, smiling at his blunder.

Jonathan laughed. "China!" The rest of the sentence was incoherent. The three adults smiled at him. The phone interrupted them and Clark went to answer it.

"Hello?"

"You shouldn't have written that article, Mr Kent." An electronically disguise voice told him menacingly. "Not if you value the lives of your son and girlfriend."

"Who is this?" Clark demanded angrily.

"Someone who didn't appreciate being called a fraud. You have till Wednesday to recant the article or someone gets hurt."

"Are you threatening me?"

Martha and Tess looked at him, concerned. "Clark, what's going on?"

"No, just telling you what's going to happen." The person on the other end hung up. Clark stared at the phone for a minute before putting in back in the holder.

"Clark, who was that?" Martha asked worriedly. It wasn't like Clark to react like this.

"Someone that's angry over my last article. Tess, I don't want you or Jonathan to leave the farm until Thursday."

Tess paled. "Did he threaten Jonathan?"

"And you." Clark nodded. "I'll call Perry now and get the police onto it just to be safe. Don't worry," He put a hand on her shoulder. "He sounded like a nut job. And I won't let anything happen to either of you.

Martha watched the interaction with interest. She wondered if either of them could see what was happening to them. _Probably not_, she thought, _knowing Clark._ "Why don't you do that and Tess and Jonathan can take me on a tour of the extensions.

"I know I should have asked first…" Clark said apologetically.

Martha waved it off. "You two needed the extra space and besides I'm never here anyway so why should it matter?"

"This is your home, Mom."

"It's your home, Clark." Martha replied with a sombre smile. "Come on Jonathan, let's see your room."

The little boy grabbed his Grandmother's hand and led her up the stairs.

Tess sidled up to Clark. "How bad is the nut job on a scale of one to ten?" She whispered so Martha didn't hear. She knew Clark didn't want to scare his mother.

"He knew to use a voice distorter. He means business, Tess." Clark whispered back. "I think I'll get Oliver onto this. Can you keep my mother busy for ten minutes or so?"

"Of course." She nodded. "And bring Oliver back. He shouldn't be alone on Thanksgiving."

"Didn't you invite him before?"

"He said no. Don't let him this time."

Clark smiled and zoomed out the door. Tess ran up the stairs to occupy Martha.

"I don't see why I couldn't stay home and talk with Jonnie." Oliver complained as Clark pushed him through the door.

"Because Jonnie Walker is a type of alcohol, Oliver." Tess replied from the kitchen where she and Martha were finishing up the roast turkey. "Not company."

"It works for me." Oliver retorted. Jonathan ran out of the kitchen to Oliver and Oliver picked him up. "I've got something for you."

Jonathan's eyes lit up. "Me?"

"Yep. I promised you a tiger didn't I?"

"He doesn't mean a real tiger, does he?" Martha asked Tess softly.

"With, Oliver, who knows." Tess whispered back. "As the only non super powered resident, I hope not."

"Go show your Essa." They heard Oliver say.

"Essa, look at Kitty."

Tess turned to see a plush tiger larger than Jonathan standing in the kitchen. Martha laughed. "Where on earth did you get that?"

"The zoo." Oliver answered, sitting at the table.

"If you think that's outrageous, you should see the other toys Oliver's gotten him." Clark walked into the kitchen. "What is there?" He tried to remember the names

"Pengi the penguin." Tess supplied for him. "Then Wolfie the wolf, Firestarter the dragon and now apparently Kitty the tiger."

"Thanks. And all of them are bigger than he is. It's kind of funny." Clark said. "Do you want some help?" He pinched a roast potato of the serving plate.

Martha slapped his hand. "Clark, I raised you with manners."

"Sorry Mom."

"Bad Dada." Jonathan chastised him father, waggling a finger at him.

"Hey, Jonathan come here and help me with some music." Oliver called from the lounge room. Jonathan ran, eager to help.

"He seems happy." Martha commented lightly.

"Oliver or Jonathan?" Clark asked.

"Both." Martha finished putting the dressing on the turkey. "Ok, Clark can you take that in?"

Tess picked up the salad and started to walk but Martha caught her arm. "When the time comes, take a chance."

Tess shook her head, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Martha smiled knowingly. "You'll see."

"You ladies coming?" Oliver called. "Jonathan's getting impatient.

"Jonathan's getting impatient?" Clark asked. "Pot meet kettle."

"Ha ha." Oliver said sarcastically.

"Don't get your tights in a tangle." Tess told them both.

"They're not tights!" Both men said indignantly.

"They're tights."

Martha laughed. "It's true, they're tights but lets just share a meal without starting world war three."

"Yes Mom." Clark said obediently. "I'll like to take the time to reinstate a family tradition. We didn't do it last year because, well, we weren't feeling very thankful. But now I'd like everyone to take the time to say one thing they're thankful for."

"My family." Martha said immediately.

"Friends." Oliver followed, raising a glass.

"I'll toast that." Tess clinked her glass with his. "To Friends and Trust."

"To Jonathan and Tess." Clark raised his glass. Tess blushed, looking down at the table. "I don't know what I'd do without you both."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"So what are you going to do for Tess' birthday?" Martha asked, looking over at her son. He was driving her to the Metropolis airport so she could catch the midmorning flight to Washington DC. "Something special, I hope."

"I don't know. I've got a couple of weeks, don't I?" Clark asked, turning off the highway into the city traffic. "She hasn't made a big fuss of her birthday in the past."

"Neither do I but you still do something for me." Martha told him. "Get her something nice. She's important to you so show her."

"Mom, you're making sound like we're dating."

Martha held her tongue, not knowing how far to push him. His wife had only died less than a year ago.

"But you're right. I should get her something nice." Clark said, "She deserves that much."

"Good. Clark, you're supposed to turn here Honey, "Martha pointed to the corner on their left.

"Sorry," Clark veered into the right lane and turned. "I got distracted. Lois was easy to get gifts for. She circled what she wanted in the catalogue and put in on my pillow. Tess doesn't say anything."

"Why don't you ask her?"

Clark looked at his mother, incredulous. "Then she'll know I have no clue. I can't do that."

Martha sighed. Now it was just getting complicated. "I'll ask her then."

Clark smiled broadly, knowing his caring mother would say that. "Thanks Mom." He pulled up at the airport drop off zone. "Do you want me to wait with you till your flight leaves?"

Martha shook her head. "You have to go to work."

Clark shrugged. "Perry won't mind." He got out of the car and picked up the suitcases from the boot. "He'll understand."

"It's fine Clark. I'll be fine." Martha took the suitcase handle from him. "Go to work. Change the world." She smiled proudly.

Clark chuckled. "Yes Mom." He reached over and hugged her. "Come back soon. We miss you."

"I will. I promise." Martha patted him on the back. "You know you shouldn't be afraid of moving on."

Clark frowned, not knowing where this is going. "I've gone back to work Mom. I'm not hiding anymore."

"You're hiding from your heart, Clark. I know you don't think you'll ever love anyone like you loved Lois but you will." Martha ran a hand down his cheek. _You're starting to already_.

"Okay." He really didn't understand. "Have a safe flight. Statistically, flying is the safest way to travel."

Martha chuckled, knowing how often he'd used that line. "I will. Love you."

"Love you too Mom." Clark watched her disappear through the opaque airport doors. He turned and hoped back in his car, leaving the airport behind. He turned up the radio and started singing along to the bobby song, ignoring the looks from the other people driving beside him. He'd had a good weekend – he couldn't help being happy. He'd seen his mother, Jonathan had behaved, Oliver didn't get drunk and Tess laughed at his bad jokes. _It was a good weekend. _His phone started screaming at him. Clark turned down the radio and answered using the hands free. "Hello?"

"You didn't do what I asked Mr Kent." The disembodied voice on the other end said sinisterly. "And now I'm angry."

"You threatened my family. Did you think you were going to get what you wanted?" Clark asked angrily. He went through a round about then pulled over.

"Well you certainly won't."

Clark's heart started beating furiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've had a beautiful woman living in your house for how long now? And according to my sources you've never touched her. To bad you won't have the chance."

Clark's voice dropped an octave. "What have you done?"

"Nothing much yet." The voice said nonchalantly. "But I will be having some fun with your 'friend' soon."

"If you hurt her…"

The voice laughed. "It's a bit lad for that. You may want to get a new babysitter. Your son's all alone. You should have done what I wanted." The phone call was disconnected, the beeping echoing through Clark's head.

_Tess. Jonathan_. Clark leapt out of the car, leaving it behind as he flew home. He didn't care who saw him. They were more important.

"Tess!" He yelled before he'd even landed. "Jonathan?"

"Dada." Came the quiet reply.

Clark ran into the house, looking for Jonathan. It had been destroyed. Furniture had been overturned, cushions slashed, lamps and photo frames smashed. Clark x-rayed the room to find Jonathan pinned under the bookcase. He lifted the up the bookcase with one arm, grabbing Jonathan with the other. The little boy cried, hugging his father around the neck and nearly choking him. "It's ok." Clark told him reassuringly. "It's ok. I'm here now."

"Essa!" Jonathan cried. "Bad men hurt Essa."

Clark rubbed the boys back, trying to calm him down. "I'll find her. I promise I'll find her. We aren't going to loose her too." Clark walked to the house phone and hit the speed dial. "Oliver? I need your help. Someone's taken Tess."

Ice cold water hit her face, bringing her back from the abyss of unconsciousness. "Wha…?" She lay on cold, now wet concrete in a dark warehouse. _How did I get here?_

"Wakey Wakey Tessie." A tall sandy haired man loomed over her. "Don't wanna miss all the fun." The cobwebs started to clear from her mind and Tess tried to move but couldn't. He leant down, his vaguely familiar face mere inches from her. "Don't try to move. Even Superman couldn't get out of those knots. You'll just hurt yourself."

"No. I'll just hurt you." Tess looked up at him defiantly. She'd survived worse. And Clark would rescue her soon. _He'll be here any minute_, she told herself.

He backhanded her. She gasped, blood flowing from her lips. "I've heard stories about you Miss Mercer." He said, pulling her up into a sitting position. "Everyone wonders why you turned on your fortune to become a nanny."

"The pays good." Tess quipped lightly. _Hurry up Clark. _

He slapped her again. "This isn't the time to be foolhardy. Do you know why you're here?"

"You wanted a captive audience to your melodramatic breakdown?"

He pursed his lips at her. "I don't see why your brother keeps you around. I've only known you 5 minutes and I prefer you unconscious."

"He's not my brother." Tess spat at him.

"Most people would clamber to call him brother yet you don't. Perhaps you aren't as smart as people think." He cupped her cheek.

She raised an eyebrow. "Or perhaps you are just as dumb as everyone else."

He cocked his head. "Do you even know who I am?"

A dozen answers ran through her mind, most of which would get her killed. "A man?"

"A Congressman." He clarified, drawing himself up in what he considered a dignified manner.

Tess realised who he was. "Former Congressman Phillips. Clark got you fired."

"And that blonde bimbo." Phillips grumbled. "But with you, I get to kill to birds with one stone."

Tess' face went blank. This guy wasn't messing around. _Please hurry Clark._

"Because of your boyfriend, I have lost everything. My job, my money, my house, my wife!"

"Ever consider you lost your wife because she's last on that list?"

Phillips pushed her back onto the ground and the landed with a hard that. _That's gonna bruise_, she mused.

Phillips straddled her, leaning down over her. "I'm going to enjoy this. And then I'm going to tell Kent how much you screamed."

What little colour that left in her face disappeared. _Please Clark,_ she half thought, half prayed. _Hurry._


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Clark flew over Metropolis, listening for Tess' heartbeat. He stopped over a shopping mall, thinking he'd heard it but was wrong. "Where are you Tess?" He asked aloud. People below looked up and pointed at him. Clark could hear them talk but tuned it out again to focus on the heartbeat of the missing woman. He touched his earpiece. "Do you have anything, Arrow?"

"Nothing yet," came the reply. "I'm about to check the Southside Docks. Tess is smart; if she can she'll give us a sign."

"I know." Clark sighed. "But what if she can't? We're practically flying blind here."

"Calm down." Oliver ordered. "We'll find her. Look, I'm at the Docks, I'll call you back in 5."

"Ok, tell me what you find. Superman out." Clark disconnected the call, apprehension growing. It had been 5 hours since he'd found Jonathan in the house. A lot could happen in 5 hours. Tess could be injured, bleeding or worse_. Snap out of it_, Clark told himself sternly. _Freaking out won't help her. _He looped back, heading north. _Please let me find her unharmed, _he prayed to anyone that was listening.

Phillips weight pressed down against her. The scent of cheap alcohol burnt her nose. Tess frantically tried to think of something she could do. She suddenly bucked backwards, slamming her shoulders into the cement. Phillips lost his balance and fell off her. Tess quickly rolled up her knees. She wiggled her feet trying to get them out of the tight rope bindings without any luck. She was stuck.

Phillips slowly got to his feet. "You little tramp." He let loose a tirade of cursing that would have made a sailor blush.

She glared up at him. "I may be a tramp but you're a traitorous fraudster who's about to get his arse handed to him."

He laughed. "Really? Cos I don't see anyone coming to your rescue."

"He will." Her voice was strong but her faith was starting to waver.

He pushed her back again and she twisted, landing on her side to save her now severely bruised shoulders. He kicked her in the stomach. "Not even Superman could save you from this." His steel capped boots dug into her kidneys.

She bit back a scream of agony. Her vision started to blacken but she blinked it back. Who knows what would happen if she fell into the abyss again. _Where are you Clark?_

The door open and a shadowy figure walked in. "What are you doing?" He was angry. Tess squinted at the figure. The voice was familiar but she couldn't place it. "She isn't supposed to be here. Did you hurt her?" He sounded furious now.

Phillips looked down at the ground. "Sorry sir. I just wanted to make Kent pay."

"I can see that," the shadow snapped. He looked down at Tess who was bordering on consciousness. "I just wish you hadn't done this. You're on your own now." He walked out the door.

"Sir!" Phillips called his tone desperate. "Please. I need your help."

"You should have thought of that when you disobeyed me." He opened and walked out.

"Dammit!" Phillips screamed, stamping his foot. "Dammit. Dammit. Dammit." Now he was really screwed.

Martha sat in the rocking chair in Jonathan's nursery, rocking slowly. _How did this happen? _She thought sadly, looking out the window to the sunset outside. _How did this go wrong? _She looked over her shoulder at Jonathan tossing and turning in his cot. His intermittent strength had saved him but nightmares plagued him. "Lord please let Clark find Tess. We need a happy ending." She prayed quietly, eyes closed. "Clark has a second chance at happiness. Please don't let him loose it. And you've put Tess through so much already. Let her find happiness, please I beg you."

Jonathan woke up at his grandmother's voice. "Essa?" He looked hopefully at the figure with the red hair in the rocking chair.

"No, Jonathan its Grandma." Martha turned so he could see her face.

"Essa's chair!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. He smashed the sides of his cot and the wood splintered. "You in Essa's chair!"

Martha got up quickly. "Jonathan, it's ok. Daddy will bring your Essa back."

Jonathan kept screaming. "Essa. Essa. Essa." He started crying too. He was jumping up and down and throwing his hands around, making small holes in the walls.

Martha looked at him, helpless. She couldn't go near him when he was like this. There was nothing she could do.

Oliver ran across the rooftops of the warehouses at the Southside docks, nimbly jumping across the gaps. His sunglasses were fitted with heat sensitive vision to enable him to see through walls. So far he'd found nothing.

He ran and leapt over a large alleyway, landing and rolling up onto his feet. A car started up somewhere below him. Oliver ran to check it out. There shouldn't have been any cars in the docks. He arrived just in time to see a black sedan drive away. Jumping down to the ground, Oliver ran to an open door, sliding into the building as it closed and locked itself behind him. He looked through his glasses to find two heat signatures further down the hall. He reached for his crossbow. This could be her.

He moved stealthily down the hall, a man's booming angry voice becoming louder. "You shouldn't let Kent cross me."

Oliver moved in front of the door where the voice was coming from. He kicked it open and walked through it in one fluid motion. "And you shouldn't have crossed me." He let loose an arrow laced with a potent sedative into the man standing over Tess. Oliver ran over to her, pulling her into his lap. "Tess, Tess, can you hear me? Mercy!"

Her eyes flicked open, her head lolling in his hands. "Clark?" Her eyes looked up glassy and unfocused.

Oliver shook his head, tears of relief flooding his eyes. "No, Tess. Oliver." He touched his earpiece. "I've got her."

"Where?" The relief in Clark's voice was evident in the terse reply.

"Southside docks. Warehouse 13." Oliver answered quickly, taking Tess' hand reassuringly.

Clark was there in a heartbeat. "Tess," he breathed, seeing her lying in Oliver's lap. Her face was a dark red colour and puffy from the blows with a split lip. What wasn't red was extremely white. He x-rayed her to find several broken ribs and a fractured arm. He couldn't believe this had happened.

Tess looked up at him. "Jonathan." She whispered and Clark knew what she wanted to hear.

"He's safe with my mom at the farm. Come one." He knelt down and scooped gently her into his arms. "You gotta go to a hospital."

Tess shook her head slowly. "Jonathan first." Her voice broke, from exhaustion, pain or worry Clark couldn't tell.

He was torn. She needed the hospital but she needed to see Jonathan too. "One minute." He said, before taking off.

Oliver got to his feet after they left. He turned on the man on the ground. "You hurt a friend of mine. So now I'm gonna hurt you."

Clark arrived at the farm a second after leaving the docks. He put Tess gently on the couch as Jonathan sprinted down the stairs towards her.

"Essa!" He launched at her, a blur of red and blue pyjamas. Clark caught him before he landed on Tess and eased Jonathan next to her.

"She's hurt buddy. You're gonna have to be careful." Clark told him.

Tess ignored what Clark said and pulled the boy into her lap and hugged him close. If he weren't half Kryptonian, she may have squashed him she hugged him so tight. "I love you so much."

Jonathan tightened his grip around her neck. "Love Essa."

Martha walked down the stairs and smiled at the heart-warming scene before her. "Sweetie, I'm so glad you're safe." Martha's smile fell as Tess looked up and she could see the younger woman's multicoloured face. "Oh Sweetie."

Tess closed her eyes and shook her head gently. "I'll be fine Mrs Kent. It's only a couple of bruises."

"And broken bones." Clark added darkly. Someone was going to pay for this. He stood next to Tess on the couch, watching over her like her guardian angel.

Martha sat down next to Tess. She ran a hand through her hair. "Call me Martha sweetie. You're practically a Kent now but what are you doing here? You should be in the hospital."

"She wanted to see Jonathan." Clark answered for her. "And now's she's going to the hospital."

Tess looked up at Clark with pleading eyes. "One more minute?" She didn't want to let go of Jonathan yet.

Clark pulled Jonathan away from Tess, ignoring the squawk of protest. "Nope. You've got to get checked out." He picked up again, cradling her against his chest. "Mom, can you drive Jonathan to the Metropolis hospital? Knowing him he'll try to run after us."

"Of course." Martha agreed and Clark left again. Jonathan made to follow but Martha grabbed his arm. "No baby, we're going by car."

Clark sat in the waiting room, anxiously waiting to be allowed to go in and see Tess. He tapped his foot, not really reading the magazine that he was flicking through. His mind was elsewhere. He couldn't get the image of Tess where he found her out of his head. She was so fragile and he couldn't even save her. What use was Superman when he couldn't even save those he loved? Clark's eyes widen at the stray thought. _Loved?_

A pretty, young nurse came over and tapped him on the shoulder. "Are you Clark Kent?" He nodded, not trusting his voice. "Miss Mercer is asking for you. She's in room 401."

Clark nodded his thanks and speed walked to Tess' room. She was dozing lightly but woke when he walked in. "Clark…" Her face had developed even more colours in the hour since he'd seen her. He could see the bandages wrapped around her middle and the sling on her arm.

He stood, not knowing what to say. "I ah…" Guilt swamped his heart.

"If you say you're sorry I'm going to find some green k and hit you with it." Tess told him. "This is not your fault."

He sat at the foot of her bed. "I should have protected you better. I shouldn't have ignored a threat like that. It was stupid."

"It was stupid." Tess agreed. Clark looked up at her, surprised. He'd expected her to berate him for saying that. "You were over confident. But you couldn't have known."

"I should have." He stood, frustration rising. "I should have known."

She flinched at his angry tone but kept her voice even. "Unless you've developed clairvoyant powers that you failed to tell me about, you couldn't have known."

"I'm Superman," He hissed. "I should be able to protect you. I should have been able to find you." Tess sighed and leant back into the pillows. Clark immediately felt guilty about dumping all of this on her. It was selfish of him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. You don't need to hear this."

"But you need to hear this: You are not perfect. You are not a God. The world does not revolve around you and everything is not your fault."

Clark looked at her. He'd known she could be blunt but that was borderline harsh. "Tess…"

"Sorry, that was harsh." She apologised.

He sat back down again. "But it was true. I needed to hear that thank you." he took her hand and held it. "You always know how to bring me back to earth."

She smiled tiredly. "Where's Jonathan?"

"Aren't I your favourite Kent?" Clark joked, trying to lighten the mood. They'd had enough angst to last a lifetime.

Tess' lips quivered. "Maybe, maybe not."

Clark mock frowned. "And now you've broken my heart." Then he smiled. "Mom took him to the cafeteria to get him something to eat cos he was getting fussy."

"Kay." Tess' eyes flickered shut. "Tell me when they get back."

"You should get some rest. Jonathan can see you tomorrow." Clark told her reassuringly.

Her eyes flew open. "I want to see him tonight."

Clark leant back, taken aback by the strength of her voice. "Okay."

"Sorry," Tess sighed. "I just…. I just… never thought I'd see him again. I was so scared Clark."

"You're allowed to be scared, Tess. It's normal." Clark told her reassuringly.

"I've never been scared that I was leaving somebody behind though." She said softly, looking up into his eyes. "Somehow it's worse than being alone."

"You're never going to be alone again." Clark promised her. "I won't let that happen and neither will Jonathan."

"Clark.." Her tone was disbelieving but hope blossomed.

"Jonathan was distraught when he thought he'd never see you again. Mom said he destroyed him room and put at least a dozen holes in the walls; he was so upset." Clark told her, running his thumb up and down the back of her hand. "I don't know what I would've done if Oliver didn't find you when he did."

"You would have found me yourself." Her eyes stayed shut this time, her voice fading as sleep took her. "You just love to keep me waiting."

Clark looked at her strangely, remembering where the words came from and the woman who'd said them. "I'll try not to next time."

Tess didn't answer because she was asleep. Martha and Jonathan walked into the room and Clark motioned with his free hand to be quiet. Jonathan silently crawled up onto the bed, curling up between Clark and Tess. He put his small hand on the two adults' joined hands, smiling up at his father. Clark smiled back. _Everything was going to be ok. Everyone was back together. We're safe. I'll keep us safe. _


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Easy now," Clark lifted Tess down out of the truck, his fingers skimming over her soft skin. He ignored the butterflies in his stomach at the intimate contact. It's Tess, don't go stupid.

She rolled her eyes as he carried her up the path to the house. "I can walk you know."

"I know." Clark smiled down at her. "You're just not."

"Oh really? And how are you going to stop me?" A small smile played on her lips.

"Jonathan!" Clark called, walking through the door.

The little boy ran down the stairs, almost stumbling in his hurry. "Essa home!"

Tess smirked up at Clark. "I guess I'm the favourite now."

Clark mirrored her smirk. "We'll see." He set her down on the couch, draping a woollen blanket over her legs. "Jonathan," he turned back to his son who was now sitting on the floor playing with his train set. Jonathan looked up and Clark continued. "If your Essa gets up even for 1 second, you yell for me, ok?"

Jonathan thought for a second, and then nodded, seeming to understand. "Kay."

Tess raised an eyebrow. "You're playing him against me?"

"Told you you weren't the favourite." Clark replied lightly, enjoying having one over her. It had been a while since they had this relaxed banter. He'd missed it.

Tess reached for the remote, straining her broken ribs. A gasp of pain escaped her lips. "Dammit."

Jonathan looked up. "Bad Essa. Bad wod."

"Word," Clark corrected as he handed the remote to Tess. "Next time you want something out of your reach, ask."

She frowned. "I'm not an invalid, Clark." Her need for independence was rising again.

"Just let me look after you. I promise one week and you can go back to bossing me around. This week, I boss you around. And you actually do what you're told."

She gave him a wicked smile. "I always do what I'm told."

Clark looked away, not knowing what to say. The conversation was starting to border on flirtation. "So… what do you want for lunch?"

Tess blinked. That was a change in subject if ever there was one. "Clark, it's nine o'clock."

"Morning tea then," Clark mentally slapped himself for the slip up. "A sandwich?"

"I'm not hungry." Tess shook her head, turning on the TV. "Look, Jonathan Hi-5 is on."

Jonathan scrambled to his feet and ran as fast him little legs could carry him to the couch. He nestled up against Tess and watched his favourite show. "Hi-5" Tess smiled, absently running a hand through his hair.

"I can put it on in my room if you want to watch something else," Clark offered.

"It's fine." Tess said, her eyes not leaving Jonathan.

"I'm sure you've left Pride and Prejudice around here somewhere," Clark started going through the cupboards beside the TV. "And watching fluorescently dressed adults sing children's songs isn't exactly riveting TV, Tess. You'll go bored stupid."

"And if I happen to like fluorescently dressed adults sing children's songs?"

"Ahh…"

"They're happy. Or at least very good at it. It's cute." Tess explained. "And the songs are annoyingly catchy."

"You like it?" Clark couldn't get the disbelief out of his voice which he knew was a touch insulting.

"After being forced to watch it 3 times a day 5 days a week, it grows on you." Tess answered, turning her head to look at him. "Don't look so surprised. I do like something other than classic romance."

"Whatever floats your boat," Clark replied, shaking his head. _Whenever I think I know her, she pulls something else out of the bag. _

"Tee!" Jonathan yelled, pointing at the ad on the screen.

Tess woke from her nap, startled. "What?"

"Tee!" He repeated, still pointing at the screen. "Mas Tee."

"Do you mean Christmas tree?" Tess asked, trying to understand what the two year old was trying to say.

"Ya." Jonathan nodded. "Mas tee."

Tess rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Do you want a Christmas tree? Is that what you're saying?"

"Mas tee." Jonathan nodded.

"Go annoy your father about it." Tess told him. "I'm not allowed to get up remember."

"I heard that!" Clark yelled from upstairs. "I was waiting for you to say that."

She smiled at the roof, knowing he would see it through the ceiling. "You asked for it. I'm just doing what you told me to do. Nothing." Jonathan looked at her as if wondering why she was talking to herself.

Upstairs in his room, Clark snorted loudly. "The day you do nothing is the day I marry Oliver."

"I guess I've got a wedding to plan for today then?" She laughed happily then stopped, pain flaring in her ribs. "Ow."

Clark was by her side in a heartbeat. "Are you ok?" He ran a hand over her forehead, checking a fever.

"I'm fine. Just laughed too hard." Tess put a hand on her ribs as though that would stop the pain.

Clark leant back, relieved. It had been a long time since he'd taken care of a badly injured human, especially a stubborn one, and was prone to worry. "No more jokes then."

"No more jokes." Tess agreed, closing her eyes against the pain.

Clark looked concerned. "Do you want some aspirin? Water?"

Tess shook her head. "It will pass." She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "See, all better."

Clark stood up and walked to the kitchen. "Next time say that when you're not as white as a ghost. It might be more convincing."

"Yes sir." Tess gave a lazy mock salute.

"Sir?" Clark smiled as he searched for the painkillers. "I could get used to that."

"Don't," Tess shifted on the couch, trying to get comfortable. "I doubt it will happen again."

"Mas Tee." Jonathan suddenly spoke up. "Dada mas tee."

"He means Christmas Tree." Tess translated for Clark. "I think he wants a Christmas tree. There must have been an ad on the TV for them or something."

"Right. We'll go next week buddy." Clark told Jonathan walking in with a glass of water in one hand and two pills in the other.

"Day!" Jonathan demanded, stomping his foot. "Now."

"Excuse me?" Tess gave him a pointed look. "What did you say?" Her voice was stern and had the 'don't mess with me' tone.

"Day. Now." Jonathan said, quieter than before. He could tell he was going to be in trouble "Mas tee now." His bottom lip started quivering. "Peas."

Both Clark and Tess had to hold back a chuckle at the mispronounced 'please'. "Who's in charge here buddy?" Clark asked, standing tall next to Tess and presenting a united front.

"Essa…" Jonathan looked down at the ground. He knew he wasn't going to get his Christmas tree today.

Tess' shoulders shook with barely contained laughter. She purposely didn't look at Clark because his shocked expression would have sent her into hysterics. "You're a genius Jonathan. But that's not going to get you your Christmas tree today. Maybe later."

"You can have you Christmas tree next week," Clark confirmed, "When Tess can come with us."

"Mas Tee!" Jonathan crowed, clapping his hands. "Geen." He went back to playing with the train set on the carpet, ignoring the rest of the world.

"Green." Tess corrected, still holding back her laughter. He was priceless. "Like Uncle Oliver's tights."

"They're not tights." Clark defended his friend. This argument always went around in circles with no one winning but it was more entertaining than it was antagonising.

"They're tights." Tess nodded, happily falling back into the familiar argument.

"They're trousers. They're just a little tighter than normal."

"Right," said Tess disbelievingly, "Just like the underwear you wear on the outside isn't underwear."

"It's part of the costume! It's a symbol."

"So I could wear my bra on the outside and claim it to be apart of my costume."

A small blush grew on Clarks cheeks as his mind went somewhere beyond friend territory with that image. "No. It would look silly." Tess raised an eyebrow. He'd effectively argued her argument for her. "That's not fair. It doesn't it count," he said with a slight whine." You're better at this than I am."

She smiled at him. "No, it counts. All's fair in love and war. And chocolate."

"I don't think that's how the saying goes." Clark passed her the water and pills that had been forgotten in their playful argument.

Tess took them and downed the water and the pills with an exaggerated swallow. "Clark Kent making me do drugs, who would've thought?"

Clark rolled his eyes. "Funny Tess."

Jonathan watched their interactions, forgetting the TV behind him. "Iss."

Both adults turned to look at him. "What are you saying?" Clark asked, confused. "What's iss?"

"Dada and Essa. Iss." Jonathan repeated.

"I don't understand Jonathan," Tess told him almost apologetically. Normally she could comprehend what he was rambling about but not now.

"Iss!" He sounded annoyed now.

"Okay, Daddy and Essa will iss if you go get washed up for dinner." Clark told him, still not understanding what he meant. "We're having enchiladas." Jonathan down the hall to the bathroom.

"Pulling out all the stops are we, Mr Kent?" Tess asked. Enchiladas were her favourite.

"Only for you my dear." Clark turned as he realised what he said. Am I flirting, he asked himself. She's Tess she's not… He couldn't figure out what she wasn't because all boundaries were blurred between them.

Tess blushed, also realises what Clark said. She pretended that she didn't understand the innuendo. "Well in that case, can you stop Jonathan from flooding the bathroom? The tap's been going since he went in there."

Crap. Clark ran into the bathroom to find Jonathan standing in a puddle of water. He leant over his son and turned the tap off. "And what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Opps?" Jonathan looked up at Clark, puppy dog eyes going full blast.

"Opps indeed."

"I'm going to put Jonathan in bed." Clark scooped the sleeping boy off the floor. After dinner, they'd moved back to the lounge room. Clark and Tess talked with Jonathan butting in now and again until he fell asleep on the floor.

"Mm Kay." Tess was almost asleep too, the painkillers exhausting her.

Clark took the stairs slowly, not wanting to wake Jonathan. He also wanted to savour the moment. It wouldn't be long before Jonathan was too big to be carried, even by him. Clark smiled as he put Jonathan down. He looked like an angel, like perfection incarnate. At least when he was asleep. Awake, he was a tirade of energy and mischief. But he was Jonathan, Clark's son. "Sleep well Buddy." Clark pulled up the blanket and left the room.

He made his way back to the lounge room, intending to help Tess to bed but she was gone. She was halfway done the hallway, uninjured arm leaning heavily on the wall to help her move. He moved up behind her. "Need some help?" Clark put a hand on her waist to steady her.

She jumped and nearly screamed. "Don't do that!" She put a hand over her furiously beating heart. "You scared me."

"Sorry." He apologised. "You ok?"

She nodded, adrenaline still pumping her heart. "Please just don't sneak up on me like that."

"I won't." Clark carefully slid an arm under hers and took some of her weight. "Let's get you to bed."

"Getting a bit presumptuous aren't we?"

Clark realised his blunder. "I … ah… meant to sleep…. just to sleep… nothing else."

She laughed at his clumsy explanation. "It's ok, Clark. I know what you mean. You're not like that, I know."

Clark didn't say anything; he just smiled awkwardly. What could he say to that? He opened the door and helped her onto the bed. "Well goodnight then. Yell if you need anything." He backed out the door and closed it, leaving a bewildered Tess behind.

_Well that went well._ A sarcastic voice in his head said. _It wasn't awkward at all. Shut up!_ Clark told it. _What am I doing? I'm acting like I'm a teenager again. Like Lana and Lois all over again. Wait… do I like Tess_? Realisation dawned on him. _Oh God. _


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Jonathan cautiously pushed Tess' door open. "Essa Wakey?" He knew his Dad would get mad if he woke her.

Tess smiled at him from her dresser. "Yes, Jonathan. I'm awake." She looked back to the mirror in front of her and continued apply concealer. She may use the entire bottle but at least no one could see the bruises any more.

Jonathan ran in and jumped on her bed behind her. "Mas tee." He reminded her.

"How could I forget?" Tess smiled at him via the mirror. "You've been reminding us constantly." She put down the concealer and carefully examined her face for the multi-coloured bruises that were gradually starting to fade.

"Day!"

"Yes, we're going today. We may get there sooner if you stop annoying Tess." Clark said, walking past the door, carrying a load of dirty laundry.

"Sowie," Jonathan looked at his Dad. "Now?"

"In a little while." Clark said from the laundry room. Let me put this in the machine and let Tess finish getting ready. Women take a lot more time."

Tess raised an eyebrow. "Really? Says the man who spent 20 minutes trying to tie a tie."

"It's complicated!" Clark retorted indignantly. "It took me longer than expected."

"Whatever you say."

Clark closed the now full washing machine and programmed it. "Are you ready now or do I have to wait twenty minutes?" He leant against her doorframe.

She turned to him, "What do you think?" She had masterfully concealed all the bruises that marred her face and wore a bright blue jacket over dark jeans.

"Beautiful."

A small blush rose on her cheeks. "I meant if you could see anything."

"Oh right." Clark blushed as well. "No, you look fine."

"Essa Pretty." Jonathan said, "Now mas tee."

Tess walked over and picked him up, settling him on her good side. "My my, someone's impatient."

"He gets that from you." Clark said. "And the puppy dog eyes."

"I don't do puppy dog eyes. You taught him that."

"Whatever you say." Clark smiled as she brushed past him and he caught the scent of her floral perfume. He closed his eyes and started a mental mantra. _You don't like her like that. She's a friend. She's raising Jonathan. She's a friend. _

Tess paused in the kitchen when she realised Clark wasn't behind her. "Are you coming?"

"I'm coming." Clark zoomed past her and opened the door for her. "See?"

Tess walked out the open door. "And they say chivalry is dead."

Tess walked slowly down the row of Christmas trees in the Smallville Town Centre Market. "Too small." She frowned at one. "Too skinny. Too fat. Too small again."

"Tess, it's almost as tall as me!" Clark objected, pointing at the last one she looked at.

She turned with a knowing smile. "Exactly. A Christmas tree should be bigger than all people in the house."

"Why?" Clark asked; he'd never heard that rule.

"Because I say so." Tess replied, walking backwards.

"Who put you in charge?"

She grinned over her shoulder. "Jonathan."

Clark looked up at the small boy on his shoulders. "You created a monster." He whispered.

"I heard that!" Tess called from ahead of them.

"A very pretty monster. But a monster none the less." Clark added more loudly.

"That's better." Tess said before stopping in front of a tree. "This is the one."

Jonathan looked up at it. "Mas Tee!"

Clark's eyes widened. The tree was at least half a meter taller than him and twice as wide as him. "Tess that's bigger than our roof."

"No it's not." Tess rolled her eyes. _Men and spatial orientation._ "The star might touch the roof but it will fit."

"Tess!"

She rounded on him, hands on hips. "You owe me."

"You're pulling out that card now?" Clark didn't believe it.

She nodded. "Yep. So get the tree Clark."

The owner of the shop walked past, chuckling. "Just give in son. The woman's always right."

Tess smile grew. "See, I'm always right."

Clark hung his head, resigned. They would get the tree. Jonathan started playing bongo drums on the back of his head. "Mas tee. Mas Tee."

"Between the two of you, I can't win can I?"

"Probably not." Tess shrugged then leant against a pole. "But you can try."

Clark could see exhaustion eating at the edges of her cat-ate-the-canary grin and her colour fading. "There's a children's café across the street. Why don't you go sit down and grab a coffee and let Jonathan play while I get the tree?"

"I'm fine." She shook of his concern.

"Tess… Please?" He took Jonathan off his shoulder and set him on the ground. "Go with Tess to the play café, and be good." Clark told him.

Jonathan took Tess' hand and started leading her to the play café. "Pay. Now."

"Play," Tess corrected automatically. She looked at Clark. "Fine," she sighed. "Want me to grab you one?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. Go, sit down. You look terrible."

"Gee thanks." Tess started walking away.

"Tess, I didn't mean that! You look beautiful." He called after her. _Why do I always say the wrong thing?_

She waved a hand at him but didn't turn around.

Clark scuffed his work boot against the snow covered concrete. _Dammit._

Tess walked into the café and let go of Jonathan's hand. "Go play," she told him. "But be careful."

"Kay." He ran, slowly for him but still quickly for someone without abilities. Tess watched him enter the jungle gym and start talking animatedly to little girl dressed in pink. She smiled. This is what Jonathan should have: normality. She lined up beside a tall dark haired man, waiting to be served.

The man turned to her and smiled. "That's a cute boy you've got there."

"Yeah," Tess smiled proudly, watching as he let the little girl go down the slide first.

"Well mannered too. My little girl seems to adore him already." He nodded to the girl in pink. "And Samantha is usually shy."

"She's yours?" Tess asked. "She's adorable."

"I certainly think so, but I'm biased." He grinned then held out his hand. "James Davidson."

"Tess Mercer." She shook his hand. "And he's Jonathan." They watched as Jonathan helped Samantha up the mini rock wall.

"Think we should start planing the wedding?" James jokingly asked.

"Oh God please don't say that. It seems like just yesterday he was learning to crawl and now's he's running at the speed of light." _Almost literally,_ she added silently.

He chuckled. "I know what you mean. They grow up so fast."

"Too fast." Tess motioned to the free counter. "You're up."

"What do you want? It will be faster if we order together."

"A small Café mocha, heavy on the chocolate." Tess told the waitress who was waiting semi-patiently for them to make up their minds.

James gave her his order and they went to a table to wait. He pulled out her chair for her.

"Thank you." She said as she sat down, gently placing her fractured arm on the table.

James looked at it. "I'm guessing there's a story there."

"Not really," Tess lied with the ease of too much practice. "Too busy watching Jonathan and fell down the stairs."

"Ouch." He groaned sympathetically.

"It's not that bad. Clark and Jonathan make a huge deal out of it but it's not that huge." She shrugged.

James frowned. "Clark's Jonathan's father?"

Tess nodded. "Yeah. But what about you," She changed the subject. Tess was always cautious when discussing her family with strangers. "What do you do when you're not chatting up women in a children's café?"

He laughed. "Straightforward, I like that." Humour glimmered in his brown eyes. "I'm a partner in Davidson and Rodger."

Tess leant back, impressed. "Oliver was just complaining about you last week."

"Oliver?" James shook his head, not knowing who she was talking about.

"Oliver Queen. I consult with him when I get bored of playing house." Tess explained with a smile.

"Now, I'm impressed." James. "Brains and Beauty, a rare combination."

Tess blushed. "Not really."

He reached for her hand, taking it in his. "I beg to differ."

Jonathan was by Tess' side in a flash. "No iss." He frowned at James. He reached up and took Tess' hand away from the man's.

"Jonathan be polite," Tess chastised him. "This is Mr Davidson. His daughter Samantha is who you've been playing with."

"Essa no iss." Jonathan repeated firmly now glaring at James.

"Essa?" James asked.

"It's what he calls me." Tess explained quickly before turning back to Jonathan. "Baby, why don't you go back to playing it's –"

Jonathan cut her off. "No iss. Daddy iss Essa. No iss."

"Are you trying to say kiss?" James guessed.

Jonathan nodded, still glaring angrily at him. Tess blushed, realising what Jonathan meant. "Jonathan!"

"It's ok." James said. "No need to be embarrassed. Sammie comes up with some crazy ideas sometimes too." He didn't realise that her blush wasn't because of him but because of the conversation between her and Clark the previous week. He continued on, "And it's not like we weren't giving out the signals."

"James, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Tess apologised. She should have seen the man's blatant flirting earlier. It had been so long that she'd forgotten the signs. "I'm kinda…"

"Let me guess- Clark?"

Tess nodded sheepishly. "I'm sorry. It's complicated."

James sighed and leant back in the chair. "It always is. Oh well, no harm no foul right?"

Tess nodded. "Thank you for understanding." She looked to Jonathan who was watching them avidly. "You can go back to playing young man. I won't kiss anyone, I promise."

Jonathan looked at her as though weighing up her promise then ran back to the jungle gym.

"Smart boy." James said with a smile. "Saw right through me."

"You should see what his father can do."

After an hour of standing in the snow, Clark finally reached the counter, dragging the bulky pine tree on the cart behind him with exaggerated effort.

"Ah, the man with the bossy wife." The elderly man behind the counter recognised him.  
"Though I could say that about most wives."

"Oh Tess isn't my wife." Clark said quickly with a shake of his head.

"And why the hell not? I can see it in your eyes son." He told him. "And she's got great taste in trees. It's the most expensive one here."

Clark sighed. "Of course it is." He handed over the money and the man handed him back a rose. "I didn't pick this."

The man looked at him knowingly. "But you need it don't you son? For that boo-boo you made with you non-wife?"

Clark realised he was right. "Thank you sir." He turned to go. "Have a good Christmas."

"You too! And don't wait too long. You never know when someone's gonna swoop in and take her from you." He sounded like he was talking from experience.

"I won't sir." Clark held the rose in one hand and dragged the tree to the truck parked in an abandoned alleyway. Checking no one was looking his way; Clark lifted the tree onto the truck's roof and secured it with rope. He stood back and admired his handiwork. He had to hand it to Tess – she did pick a good tree. Clark walked across the road and heard her musical laughter.

"Really? You like pride and prejudice?"

"No but I knew you would." A man chuckled with her. "You look like a classic sought of woman."

Clark walked into the café to see her smiling at a tall dark, handsome man. He looked like a prince out of one of Tess' fairytales. "Very astute," She said, still smiling.

Clark walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder possessively. "Ready to go?"

"Sure." Tess looked up at him. "Clark, this is James. He's been keeping me entertained while you were getting the tree."

"I'm sure he has," Clark said through clenched teeth. "Where's Jonathan?"

"In the ball pit. Good luck getting him out. We tried before but it didn't work." Tess answered cheerfully.

Clark walked over to the ball pit, almost stomping in anger. "Jonathan!"

Jonathan leapt out of the ball pit, littering the ground with colour balls. "Dada!"

Clark picked him up. "Time to go."

Jonathan fingered the forgotten rose in Clark's hand. "Pretty."

Clark had a sudden idea. "Like Essa." He knelt down and gave the rose to Jonathan, careful to hide it from Tess' eye line. "Give this to Essa and say from Dada. You got that?"

"Fro Dada." Jonathan mangled the first word.

"Close enough." Clark shrugged and gently pushed him forward.

Jonathan ran to Tess, rose outstretched. "Fro Dada." He repeated what Clark had told him to say, holding out the rose.

Tess smiled and took it then looked up at Clark. "Thank you. It's very sweet." She stood up and James followed suit. "It was nice to meet you James."

"Likewise Tess. And when you get sick of complicated, find me. "He smiled at her.

Clark helped Tess into her coat, staring daggers at the man just as his son had done before. "Good bye."

"You've got a keeper there Clark." James said as they were leaving.

"I know." Clark said, wrapping an arm around Tess' waist and taking Jonathan's hand.

She looked up at him, surprised at the possessiveness of his actions. "Clark, if I didn't know any better I would say that you were marking your territory."

"And if I am?" Clark said boldly. He didn't mean say it. It just came out.

"Then you taught your son well. He was doing the same."

"Really?" Clark smiled down at this son. _Someone's getting desert to tonight. _

Tess nodded. "And James helped me figure out what is means." Clark helped her up into the front seat of the truck as Jonathan climbed into the backseat.

"And what does it mean?"

"Kiss." Tess said simply, looking up at Clark to gauge his reaction.

Clark froze. "Kiss?"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"What did I tell you about taking it easy?" A shadowy figure leant against the doorway, watching Tess as she beat the brownie mixture together in the bowl.

"Clark!" She jumped, almost dropping the bowl. "Stop doing that." She frowned at him. "And I am taking it easy. I could've made a sponge cake. That's much more effort."

Clark rubbed his eyes and walked into the light of the kitchen. "Tess, it's 3 am. Why are you baking brownies?"

"I felt like brownies." She said as though it was obvious. "But I'm not baking them."

Clark lowered himself onto a stool and the bench. "What are you doing then?"

"Eating the mixture."

Clark gave her a strange look. "Why?"

"It tastes just as good without the wait." She shrugged as though it was obvious. "I really wanted chocolate."

"I could've run to a store to get you some if you wanted it that bad." said Clark, still trying to understand her mentality.

"I was awake anyway." She shrugged again, turning away from him. She walked towards the sink and started washing the wooden spoon.

"Nightmares?" Clark hazarded a guess and her lack of an answer was answer enough. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She turned around, facing him. "Clark, you've heard enough of my horror stories. You don't need any more."

"You can't keep it bottled up, Tess. It's not healthy." Clark told her, gazing at her earnestly.

"Do you really want to go there? Because I could say the same thing about you." Tess shot back.

"Touché." Clark had to admit she had a point. "I'll spill if you will."

"What is this, high school?" Tess took a seat next to Clark, dragging over the bowl of brownie mixture. She dug in gleefully, twisting the spoon around to get the most of it.

"Enjoying yourself?" Clark raised an eyebrow at her.

"Mmmm." She nodded, her mouth full. Clark looked away as her tongue snaked out and licked away the excess on her lips, trying to keep images out of his head.

_Just a friend. Just a friend_. He revived his mantra. He looked back. "You missed a spot."

"Where?"

Clark leant over, and wiped it away with his finger. "There."

She blushed crimson. "Thanks."

"No problem. You're face matches your hair now."

"Like I haven't heard that one before," Tess rolled her eyes.

"Sorry." He said insincerely before continuing, this time completely sincere. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tess sighed, dragging the spoon around the bowl. "I was dreaming about my father."

"Lionel?"

She shook her head. "Paul."

"Right." Clark nodded, remembering the name from somewhere. _Paul Mercer. _"About what he did to you?"

"Some and the good times. Which is strange because I barely remember them."

"Tell me about them." Clark encouraged her. She needed the happy memories, no matter how tainted they were.

"It was just little things. Laughing together at a silly TV program. A joke here." A faraway look took over her face. "A family trip to the beach." She gave a sad smile. "Sometimes it was enough to make me forget. To pretend that we were happy. But then that always made it worse next time he lost his temper."

"You're happy now right?" He took her hand gently, avoiding touching the cast on her forearm.

The faraway look faded from her eyes and she picked up the spoon covered with brownie mixture. "Yes, Clark I'm happy now."

"I wasn't talking about the chocolate." He said quietly.

"I know. Neither was I."

5 hours later, Clark was running around the kitchen, trying to make breakfast, dress himself and Jonathan and get to work on time using the car. It wasn't working so well. "Jonathan, stay still." Clark tried to wrestle his wriggling son into a shirt and eat a piece of toast at the same time.

"Pay col!" Jonathan pointed at the TV and tried to run towards it. Clark grabbed him before he could jump off the kitchen table. "

"After you get dressed." Clark told him. "Now both hands in the holes…"

Jonathan put two hands through the neck hole and got stuck. "Pay col!" He cried, wanting to watch his new favourite show. He didn't' care about clothes or the fact he was making his father late for work.

"Hands in the other holes Jonathan." Clark sighed, exasperated. He made a mental note to bring home flowers for Tess and send some to his mother; they deserved it.

"Need some help?" Tess mirrored his position in the doorway from the previous night.

"Tess!" Clark straightened up. "No, I'm good. I wanted to let you sleep in. Did we wake you?"

"Essa! Pay col!" Jonathan interrupted them, his face still inside the shirt.

Tess laughed and walked over to him. She took the shirt off and he jumped down of the table, running towards the TV. "It doesn't matter if he's not dressed Clark. No one else is here to care and I can do that later. What I can't do is get you to work on time." She gave him a pointed look.

"I know. I know. I'm late. I just wanted to get Jonathan ready so you didn't have to worry." Clark glanced at the clock. "Damn, I'm really late."

"So go."

He looked at her, examining her face for any trace of pain or exhaustion. "I can stay if you want me to. Perry understands. He won't mind me taking another day off."

"I am not a china doll, Clark." Tess crossed her arms defensively. "I won't fall apart because you're not here. You've already taken two weeks off. You're not taking another day off. Perry may feel guilty but I doubt he feels _that_ guilty."

"Ok." Clark agreed, resigned. "Call if you need anything. And I mean anything."

"I will," she started walking to the door, clearly edging him towards it. "Got everything?"

Clark patted his pockets. Wallet, pen and car keys were all there. "Yep." He nodded.

"Good. Have fun in the traffic." She shut the door in his face.

"Love you too!" Clark yelled out jokingly. He realised what he said as he walked to the car. _Stupid, stupid Clark. She's just a friend. I really need a better thought-speech filter. _

Tess leant out the kitchen window. "Good bye Clark!" She yelled at him, barely holding back a laugh. She turned back to the lounge room, and went to join Jonathan. "So what's happening on Play School today?"

"Well isn't this quaint." Lex Luthor peered through the glass pane in the kitchen door, watching Tess and Jonathan make gingerbread men. "The picturesque family."

Tess stood up, wiping her hands on her apron. "Jonathan, go and watch some TV." She waited until he'd scurried into the lounge room before walking out onto the porch. She closed the door behind her. "What do you want Lex?"

"To see how you're doing. Can't I care about my sister's wellbeing?"

Tess folded her arms defensively. "Then where were you 6 weeks ago?"

"I didn't hear about your," He picked the word carefully, "ordeal until yesterday, I swear." He looked at here sincerely but Tess didn't believe him.

"So with all the people you have watching me and Oliver, none of them saw me get abducted? None of them saw anything?"

"I know. I really should fire them shouldn't I?" He smiled at her. "So how are you?"

"Lex, what do you want?" Tess asked in a tired tone. She didn't want any part of Lex's games.

"To see how you are. It must have been terrifying for you to be trapped like that. I bet it brought back memories." Lex took a step towards her, invading her personal space.

"I'm fine Lex. Unlike some people, I got saved." She held his gaze. "If you want I could put in a good word for you and the next time one of your harebrained schemes blows up in your face, they might help you too."

Lex chuckled. "Funny. I was going to ask you about your vigilante hero."

Tess raised an eyebrow, poker face intact but worry starting to build up. "My hero? Lex don't you know that you're my hero." Sarcasm dripped from her words.

"Flattery will get you no where." Lex raised her chin using two fingers. "Who is the Green Arrow?"

"Why would I know?" Her heart started flutteringly like a hummingbirds. _He couldn't know about Oliver and Clark. He can't_.

Lex smirked and removed his fingers from her face. "Because after Superman raced in and saved you, Green Arrow had a little 'talk' with former Congressman Phillips. By talk I meant torture session."

Tess paled. "I don't understand. Why would he do that?" Oliver was supposed to be on the reform, not the relapse.

"He seems to be under the impression that you are friends. Very good friends." Lex watched her closely for any tells. "So are you, good friends I mean?"

"Do you really think someone like that, who broke into the mansion more times than I care to remember when I was there, would consider me a friend?" Tess lied with a straight face. "We used to be on opposite sides. I doubt they'd even trust me. He was probably just using it as an excuse to beat the guy."

"Maybe." She could tell Lex wasn't buying it. "Or maybe you're covering for him."

Tess sighed. "Believe me, don't believe me. I really don't care. Just go Lex." 

Lex put on a mock sad face. "Anyone would think you didn't love me."

"Anyone would be right. You're not my family Lex." She turned to go back into the house.

"And Clark is?" Lex laughed. "You turn down a renowned and rich lawyer for a farming journalist with more secrets than the CIA, you must have it bad sis."

Tess' eyes flashed angrily. "What I have is none of your business. Clark and Jonathan are my family and you might want to consider that before you insult them."

"Or you'll what?" Lex demanded smugly. "Sell your story to the magazines? Oh wait, you can't. You're under a gag order. You can't say anything against me without going to prison." He poked her in the shoulder mockingly. "You. Can't. Touch. Me."

_Wanna bet?_ Tess squashed the thought. Revenge was not the answer any more, no matter how much she wanted it. "Maybe not. But I can still tell you to get the hell of my property."

Lex walked backwards. "It's not your property Tess. Just like Clark will never love you like you love him. He's too pious for people like us."

"I'm nothing like you." Tess spat at him.

Lex smiled. "But you were. And a leopard can't change her stripes." He got in his car and drove away.

Tess leant heavily against the door. She sighed. Lex was planing something and that never went well. _I have to warn Clark._


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Clark opened Tess' door and started singing. "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you."

Tess flung upwards, eyes wide. "What's going on?"

Clark ignored her question and kept on singing. "Happy birthday dear Tess. Happy Birthday to you!" He moved out of the way for Jonathan to carefully carry a tray laden with pancakes and orange juice to Tess.

"Essa!" Jonathan held up the tray, a contagious smile on his face.

"What is this?" Tess looked at Clark, still confused.

"Breakfast in Bed." Clark answered as if it were obvious.

"Why?"

"It's your birthday, remember." Clark sat on the edge of her bed.

"I actually forgot." She blushed and took the tray of Jonathan, "Thank you."

"I can tell you how old you are if you've forgotten." Clark gave her a cheeky grin.

"Say it aloud and you'll regret it." Tess threatened playfully, cutting up the pancakes. Jonathan climbed up on the bed and started eating one of the pieces. "Yes you can eat that Jonathan. Thanks for asking." The light-hearted sarcasm was lost on the little boy – he merely looked up and grinned with lips covered in maple syrup. Tess smiled at him before looking at Clark. "Want to join me?"

Clark stared at her. Join her in bed? When she was only wearing that ridiculously short but perfectly fitting nightdress? "Ah…" He could feel his cheeks heat up.

"I meant the breakfast Clark." Tess gave him a look. "There's a two year old in here. Mind out of the gutter."

"Of course you did." Clark moved up the bed and snagged a piece. "This is good. Remind me to give compliments to the chef."

Tess rolled her eyes. "An inflated ego is not attractive Clark."

He leant forward, spearing another piece with a fork, never loosing eye contact with her. "And what is?"

Tess swooned into her pillows dramatically. "Fitzwilliam Darcy." She sighed with her forearm over her forehead. "My husband."

Clark dropped his fork on the quilt cover. "You're married?"

Tess burst out laughing, rolling over onto her side. Jonathan looked at her like she was crazy before mimicking her, laughing and rolling around like a lunatic. "I wish!" She said, still laughing hysterically. "I can't believe…" She was having trouble breathing now.

Clark sat her up. "Easy now. Breath."

"I can't believe." She was still laughing, a little calmer now. "You thought that…"

"Why?" Clark asked, curiously. "Who is he?"

Her laughs subsided into chuckles as she calmed down. "The main male from Pride and Prejudice." A dreamy quality entered her voice as she continued. "You know the tall dark handsome somewhat shy but absolutely wonderful man."

Relief flooded Clark. "Oh that's ok then. I thought you were being serious for a second."

"I would've told you Clark." Tess took his hand. "You know all of my secrets now. Including my unrequited love for Mr Darcy." Her lips quirked at the last words.

He squeezed her hand back. "I know. You're just full of surprises sometimes."

Jonathan leant forward put a finger in the sticky mess Clark had created when he dropped the fork. "Bad dada."

Tess nodded seriously. "Bad bad Dada. He's going to have to do the laundry again." She held back a smile. "Or he could bring me out the ballet tickets he's hiding in his sock drawer."

"How do you know about that?" Clark asked. He was sure he'd managed to keep that a secret.

"Oh Clark I know _everything_." She gave him a wicked smile and popped a piece of pancake into her mouth in almost seductive manner.

_Just a friend. Just a friend. _Clark looked at her. Was she flirting with him? Or was she just being friendly? He'd always been bad at working out the difference. "Ok then," He stood up. "When you're done get dressed because there's something you don't know."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up with interest. "What is it?"

It was his turn to smile wickedly. "Wait and see. And dress for summer."

She put the half finished plate on the tray and placed it on her bedside table. "Done."

"Tess, you barely ate." Clark frowned at her.

"Please, there were enough calories in that to keep me going for a week."

"Eat." He ordered her, leaning over to pick up Jonathan.

"Or what, you'll make me?"

"You asked for it." Holding Jonathan under his arm, he grabbed a pancake and stuffed it in her half open mouth.

She made a muffled sound that was either his name or a four letter word he didn't want Jonathan to learn. She chewed and swallowed. "Happy now?" She licked the excess syrup off her lips.

Clark watched her tongue move around her mouth and imagined kissing that same mouth. "Very happy."

"Well then get out."

Clark looked up, startled. _Could she tell what I was thinking? Oh God, _He panicked. "Why?" 

"I have to get dressed don't I?" She gave him a pointed look.

"Right. I'll leave. I'll be… in the kitchen." Clark backed hurriedly out the door, still carrying Jonathan who looked up at his father, mouth covered in maple syrup. "Cleaning Jonathan up."

"Essa 'pise now?" Jonathan asked.

"Soon," Clark promised, putting him next to the sink in the kitchen. He grabbed a clean washer and wiped Jonathan face. "Honestly, I think one of you're abilities is super messiness."

"No, that's what most children are like." Tess walked in, dressed in a light blue sundress with a long sleeve white cotton shirt over it. She twirled for Clark. "Summery enough for you?"

"Perfect."

"Essa Pretty!" Jonathan crowded. "Now Essa pise?"

"Now we can go to Tess' surprise." Clark told him and picked up a full picnic basket.

Tess looked out the window to the white ground and falling snow. "Clark, where are we going? It's snowing."

"Not where we're going." He deposited Jonathan in her arms and picked her up bridal style.

"Where are we going?" Tess repeated as they took off out the door and up into the sky.

"A place you've love."

"That's specific." Tess said sarcastically. "Jonathan," She smiled sweetly at the boy lying in her arms. "Where are we going? You can tell Essa."

Clark chuckled. "Someone's desperate."

"Essa' pise." Jonathan answered.

"Well that worked."

"Sarcasm isn't attractive Tess." Clark parroted her words from before and she rolled her eyes. "Oh look, we're here." He landed them on an isolated beach.

Tess jumped down and knelt to let Jonathan go. "It's beautiful." They stood on a small strip of pristine white sand with crystal clear water lapping on the shore. The sand faded into palm trees that lined up in a near perfect straight line. Tiny red shells littered the shoreline and the marine biologist in Tess wanted to scream with delight as she saw a turtle swimming along the shore. "Clark…"

He smiled at her. "Told you you'd love it."

"How did you find this?" She gestured to everything.

"I spotted in one of my patrols in Australia and thought you'd love it." Clark shrugged like it was no big deal but he was over the moon that she loved the place. He reached in the picnic basket and pulled out a blue picnic blanket, laying it out for her. "Milady."

Tess laughed as she took his chivalrous hand to help her sit. "Thank you Milord." She sighed and leant back on her elbows, watching Jonathan play in the shallows. "So you did all of this yourself?"

"Yep." Clark nodded proudly. "Even the cooking."

"Impressive." She looked at him, green eyes meeting green. "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure."

"I mean it. No one's ever been this kind towards me." She smiled at him. "We practically have our own beach."

Clark couldn't help a jealous monster rise. "Doesn't Oliver have a private beach?"

"We're not going there Clark." She cut him off with a grimace. "Please don't drag the past into today."

"Sorry. How about a game of Frisbee?" Clark offered, changing the subject.

"You thought of everything, didn't you?" Tess gave him an appraising glance. She'd known he could be thoughtful but this was something else.

He fished it out of the basket. "Yep." He grinned and threw it then ran over to catch.

Tess laughed. "Show off."

"Me pay. Me pay." Jonathan ran out of the water to join them.

Clark gently threw the red Frisbee towards him. Jonathan caught it with a cheer. "Essa." He threw it wide but Tess got there in time.

"Good throw Jonathan!" She exclaimed happily before tossing the Frisbee to Clark.

They played for a few hours before Tess decided to go for a swim. Clark looked pointedly away as she stripped down to her red bikini. _Just a friend. Just a friend._ She looked over her shoulder at him. "Are you coming or not?"

"In a minute." He called back. "You go ahead."

Tess ran into the water, Jonathan on her heels and they proceeded to have a splashing war. Clark watched with a smile. He still remembered how guarded and secretive Tess was when he first met her and compared to now, she was a different person. A happy person. Clark was glad for her, knowing that the change didn't come easy. She'd become the closest person to him since Lois died, somehow filling a hole he didn't think would ever be filled and yet at the same time creating a different space in his heart for her. He didn't really understand it. He didn't think he'd love anyone after Lois but now he wasn't so sure. She made him feel, he searched for the word, whole.

"Hurry up Clark!" Tess yelled at him, bringing him back to reality. "Your son is beating me."

Clark ran and joined in, splashing both of them. "Now I'm winning."

"Me win." Jonathan shouted at him and kept splashing him. He walked a little too far out to where the sand bar declined and he went under water.

Clark pulled him up by the neck of his sun top a heartbeat later. "Stay behind me and Tess, ok?"

Jonathan nodded. "Kay," and Clark set him down back on the sand bar where Jonathan's chest was above the water.

"Tess-"he turned back to where Tess was but she wasn't there. A sudden weight jumped on his back and he resisted the urge to buck it of. He knew it was Tess. Jonathan laughed at them. "What is it Jonathan? A monster?" He asked playfully. "An ugly monster?" Tess hit him on the shoulder.

"Pretty!" Jonathan crowed, still giggling as Clark turned around in a circle faking an attempt to remove the 'monster'.

"What is it, a mermaid?"

Jonathan clapped, jumping up and down. "Airi."

Clark reached around and grabbed one of her legs, "No, not a mermaid. She has legs." _Very nice legs_, a voice in his head whispered.

Tess tried to shake him off but ended up sitting on his back like she was getting a piggy back. "You can let go now." She whispered in his ear.

"And surrender? Never!" Clark yelled playfully. "I know what you are, "He reached around and grabbed her around the middle, careful to avoid her healing ribs. He brought her around his front. She squirmed in his grasp and Jonathan laughed at their antics. "You won't escape my clutches – you Essa you." He lifted her up above his head like he was a weightlifter.

"I'm an Essa now I am?" She drawled dryly. "How imaginative of you."

He dropped her back into the water and she came up spluttering, both glaring and laughing. "How was that for imaginative?"

"Very clichéd." She said before turning to the beach. "Can we have lunch now? I'm starving."

"Sure. Jonathan!" Clark yelled. "Food!"

The little boy zoomed out of the water, a blur to Tess, and stood waiting at the picnic blanket. "Food." He smiled. "Now."

"Patience is a virtue." Tess told him as she walked up to him. Clark wrapped a towel around her shoulders. "Thanks." She glanced up at him. "Now let's see what we've got here." She opened the basket to find wrapped sandwiches, fruit and chocolate brownies. She gave Jonathan a sandwich and he unwrapped it eagerly. "Which one do you want?" She asked Clark.

"You're the birthday girl. Take your pick."

She took the one on the left. "Thanks."

"Stop saying thank you." Clark told her, unwrapping his sandwich. "It's your birthday. You deserve to be spoilt rotten." He spied their Frisbee floating away in the oceans current. "Be back in a flash." He told her zooming off to grab it before they lost it. "Miss me?" He grinned at her.

"Barely notice you were gone." Tess grinned at him, taking a bite. "This is good."

"Don't sound so surprised." Clark told her before following suite. As he chewed he realised something was grainy in the sandwich. He swallowed then turned to his son who had a guilty smile on his face. "Jonathan!"

"What did he do?" Tess didn't see him do anything but that didn't mean much when the boy could move faster than she could see.

"Put sand in my sandwich." Clark wrapped it back up, noticing the grains and shells imbedded in it. "I'll just duck into the next town to grab another one. Will you be ok?"

"We'll be fine." Tess told him and he zoomed away. "Jonathan Samuel Lane Kent – when are you going to learn to behave properly?"

Jonathan looked at her sadly. "Sowie."

"You can say sowie to your father when he gets back." 

Clark ran to the next town, feeling restless for some reason. He thought stretching his legs might make the feeling go away but it didn't. It got stronger. As he passed a major highway, no one noticed the blur streaking past them or the fact that for a split second his green eyes turned red.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Tess shrugged on a long sleeve shirt and watched Jonathan quietly eat his sandwich, eyeing her own so he didn't put sand in hers either. A strong sudden breeze blew her hair into her face.

"Miss me pretty girl?" Clark whispered in her ear. She could feel the heat of his breath against her neck. He ran a finger over the vertebrae of her spine, his finger going lower than was decent.

"Clark!" She pulled away from him. "What are you doing?" Tess turned to look at him and was terrified at the expression on his face. She'd seen that expression before, but never on this Clark. It was an expression of pure desire. Red flashed in his eyes and Tess realised what was wrong_. Oh my God. _She looked at the sand, realising that the red seashells that she'd admired weren't red sea shells at all._Red kryptonite._

"Nothing I haven't been thinking of doing." Clark's eyes gave her an appreciative glance that made her think that he was X-raying her. A wandering hand trailed up her arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

"Jonathan is watching." Tess pointed around, frantic for an excuse. Lois had told her stories of Clark on red k and they were not pretty. _How do I get rid of it? _Panic clouded her mind as Clarks fingers pulled her back to him so her back rested on his chest. _Green counters red. Where's green kryptonite._ She smiled, mentally writing a plan. "Why don't we go home?" She dragged the back of her hand down his bare chest, putting a suggestive lilt in her words. _Please let this work._

"Your wish is my command." Clark lifted her up onto her feet then picked her up. "Jonathan, come on we're going home now. Your Essa's re-evaluated her to do list." He grinned down at her. "And I'm now on top."

"You can have ice cream when we get home." Tess bribed him when the boy looked as though he'd refuse to leave.

"Kay." Jonathan walked over and Clark lowered Tess so she could pick him up.

"What about the picnic?" Tess asked as Clark flew away. "We can't just leave it there."

"Oh we'll be coming back later. And we'll be needing that blanket."

Her pulse quickened. _What am I getting myself into?_

Jonathan looked up at her, feeling her irregular heartbeat. "Essa kay?"

"Essa's fine Sweetie." Tess looked down at him, trying to smile reassuringly. "Everything's going to be fine." _As soon as I find a way to get your father off his red k high. _

"Hey, Jonathan can you go up and play in your room?" Clark asked, landing them lightly on the ground outside the house. "There's something Tess and I have to do." The little boy ran inside, leaving Tess and Clark alone. He turned to her, pulling her body flush with his. "Well now he's not watching."

"True." Tess wrapped a hand around his neck, playing with his hair, trying to think of another excuse. "Maybe we should-" Her words got cut off his mouth claiming hers. She didn't try to push him off – that would be pointless, like pushing a brick wall. Instead she returned the kiss with equal passion. He felt familiar, safe even though she knew in this state he was anything but safe. She pulled back, trying to regain her breath and her mind. "Wow."

"I'll say. You sure you don't have any super powers?" Clark ran a finger over her wet lips. "Because you could add super kiss to your resume." Tess fought the urge to roll her eyes at the corny line but a smile grew at the edge of her lips. "See, there's the smile I love."

Tess started walking backwards into the barn, Clark followed. His hands on her hips ensured that there was only a foot between them. "You're just saying that." _You wouldn't be saying that if you weren't as high as a kite. _

"And if I'm not?" His voice was lowered huskily. "What if I've been thinking that for weeks, months and have just been too stupid to say something."

Her heart skipped a beat. She'd dreamed of him saying something like that since he'd saved her from the burning bus. "Clark…"

"I love you." He said the words more sincerely than Tess had ever heard anyone say it.

Her heat stopped. "No, you don't mean that." She took his hands off her. Her dream was over. This wasn't Clark. He didn't love her. "That's the red kryptonite talking."

"No!" He zoomed over to the barn door, pinning her against it. He held her wrists above her head with one hand. "I do mean it. Red K makes me-"

Tess cut in. "Act like a horny footballstar in a strip club, I know."

"No." He looked in her eyes like he was trying to see through into her soul. "It takes away my inhibitions. Makes me do what I what to do?"

"So what you've secretly been wanting to sleep with me for the last year?" Tess asked sarcastically.

"Yes." He nuzzled her neck. "And I've seen the way you look at me. You act like you don't feel it but you do." Tess blushed red. Was she that obvious? "There's a connection between us. You make me whole." He kissed her again, his free hand starting to undo the buttons of her shirt.

Tess tensed and pulled back as far as she could. "No. Clark, please. Not like this."

"Why? Oliver said you liked it." Clark kept undoing her buttons.

Tess made a mental note to kill Oliver. "Clark, we can't…"

"Why not?" Clark demanded hotly. "I love you; pretty damn sure you love me. Or at least like me."

"Because of Jonathan!" Tess half screamed, half whispered. "I can't do anything that will jeopardise my relationship with him." Clark let her go. _Huh. That was easy_, Tess thought quickly doing up her buttons.

"Marry me."

Tess looked at him. "Well now I know you're crazy on red k." She went to walk past him into the barn.

"No," he grabbed her wrist, keeping her close. "I'm serious. Marry me and we could be a family. You wouldn't have to worry about loosing Jonathan, he'd be yours."

A million thoughts ran through her head. "Clark that's ridiculous. You're not thinking clearly."

"Honey, I'm thinking more clearly than I have in the past two years." Clark told her so sincerely that she almost forgot about the red k. "I love you. I want you. Marry me."

"Is there a please in there somewhere?" Tess half joked, biding time for another plan.

"Marry me please." Clark got down on one knee. "You know you want to." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Oh she wanted to. Any sane woman would. "Yes. I'll marry you."

Clark leapt up and hugged her, spinning her around and they floated ten feet in the air, nearly hitting the roof. "You won't regret this."

Tess pressed soft kisses to his face. "I know I won't. It's the right thing to do." They floated slowly to the floor and Tess smiled wickedly at Clark. "So fiancée, how do you want to celebrate?"

He pulled off her shirt, ignoring the buttons this time round. "I can think of a few things."

She danced away from him, hips swinging seductively. "Will I enjoy them?"

"Depends." He ran past her and she knocked into his as she turned to face him. "Do you like being outrageously happy?"

"Oh I love it." Tess wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close.

"Good." He tipped up her chin and gave her the most passionate kiss of her life. Clark lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him even closer. Clark walked backwards until he hit the tool table against the wall.

"Watch where you're going." Tess laughed, kissing him on the nose.

"How can I? I'm mesmerised by you."

"And so you should be." Tess ran her hand down his back, fingers skimming his waistband.

"Tess…." Clark was in heaven. Riding cloud nine then he crashed. Green light filled his eyes. He fell to the ground, taking Tess with him. She rolled out from under him, holding the lead box that contained the deadly green kryptonite.

"I'm sorry Clark. I'm really sorry. I don't want to hurt you." Tess looked down at him.

"You're hurting me… stop." Clark pleaded with her. His body withered in agony.

A tear rolled down her cheek. "I can't." It was the only way to get the red kryptonite out of his system.

"Essa? Dada?" Jonathan walked into the barn.

Tess whirled around. "Jonathan! Get out!"

But it was too late. Jonathan fell to the ground screaming. "Dada! Essa!" He'd never felt this type of pain before.

Tess closed the box immediately and ran to the fallen boy. "Jonathan!" She pulled him into her arms. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." He whimpered in her arms, clutching her arm so hard it bruised but she didn't feel it. "I'm so sorry."

Clark got to his feet, ignoring his own pain. He made his way over to Jonathan. "Are you ok?" Both looked at him through tear-filled eyes and he didn't know which one he was talking to. Clark sat and wrapped his arms around both, forming a protective shield around them. "Nothing's going to hurt you anymore." He told him, rocking back and forth. "I'm not going to let it."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Clark walked slowly into the barn. "Hey."

Tess jumped at his sudden presence. "Is he still asleep?" Jonathan had cried himself to sleep after his ordeal. Clark had left to put him to bed and Tess started cleaning up the mess they'd made in the barn.

Clark nodded, keeping his distance. He could see the tension in her shoulders and didn't want to add to it. "You don't have to do that you know. I can clean up later."

Tess shrugged. "It's fine. It has to be done."

"Later. We need to talk."

"It's fine Clark. Nothing happened." Tess knelt and started picking up the tools that had fallen down during their 'celebration'. "You were on red k; you get a pass on this one."

Clark knelt opposite her. "If I get a pass, why are you acting so scared?"

"I'm not scared." Tess shook her head, "Why would you think that?"

"Because you haven't looked me in the eye since it happened."

Tess looked eyes with him. "Happy now?" She got up and put the tools back on the table.

"Not really. Look, Tess I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Clark apologised. "I sure as hell didn't mean to propose to you."

"Because the idea of marrying me is so repulsive isn't it." Tess muttered under her breath, forgetting he could hear her.

"Tess… I didn't mean it like that." Clark got to his feet and walked towards her. "I meant I shouldn't have been so forward. I basically ambushed you."

"Clark, you weren't yourself. It's fine." She turned her back to him, fiddling with the tools. "We've all been taken over, turned into zombies or something equally science fiction at least one."

"Would you stop saying it's fine?" Clark exploded, making her jump again. "Sorry," he added more softly. "It's not fine. What I did wasn't some zombie taking over me. It was me."

"So you do what to marry me?" Tess turned on him, eyes curious. "Or were you just trying to get into my pants?"

"No!"

"So you weren't yourself then. So everything is fine. And nothing happened." She pushed past him. "If you'll excuse me…"

He grabbed her arm, stopping her from leaving. "Stop trying to give me an out. Something did happen."

She peeled his hand off her arm. "Nothing. Happened." She started walking back to the house.

"I like you Tess." Clark after her. "I think I might even love you."

She froze. "You don't mean that."

He walked slowly in front of her. "I do. It's what I've been trying to tell you. Red k doesn't make me act like a horny teenager. It takes away my inhibitions, makes me act on my hearts desires."

"So you do want to marry me." Tess said, watching his face carefully for a sign.

"No." Clark said quickly. She started walking again. "Yes. Maybe. I don't know. I think I love you."

"That's just the red k talking."

"It's not. Tess, why do you keep running away from me?" Clark followed her into the kitchen.

"I'm not running away. I have things to do." She got a pan from the cupboard. "Someone's has to cook dinner."

Clark took the pan out of her hands. "And we have to talk."

Tess turned and got another pan out of the cupboard, studiously ignoring him.

Clark took that pan out of her hands too. "Are you we going to go through every kitchen utensil before you give up and talk to me." Tess turned and grabbed the wok from the cupboard, still ignoring him. "And I'd forgotten that you don't give up." Clark sighed. "Ok, fine I'll talk. I get that you're scared. I heard what you said before. You don't want to lose Jonathan. I understand that. I really do. But you have to live your life too."

"So what, I should live it with you?" Tess retorted somewhat harshly. "I never said I loved you. A bit presumptuous, don't you think."

"The cavalier act doesn't suit you Tess. I saw it in your eyes this morning. Maybe not love, but you care. More than you think you should. I didn't see it before but I do now. " He tipped up her chin, looked her in the eyes. " You have that look right now."

"Maybe that red k messed with your head more than you thought. I'll go call Emil." She reached for the telephone but Clark beat her to it, holding it out of her reach. "Give me the phone Clark." She held out her hand, glaring at him.

"Don't until you tell me why you won't admit it. Tell me why you're so scared!"

"Because everyone who has ever said they loved me was lying, leaving or dying!" She screamed at him. "And I can't do it anymore. I can't pretend that I'm not broken because of it. I can't pretend that I'll be ok if something happens to you or if we don't work out and you take Jonathan away, I'll be nothing."

"You're scared of me?" Clark asked disbelief in his voice. "You're scared that I'll leave you if I learn all your secrets and then I'll take Jonathan away."

She nodded. "Yes." Her voice shook a little.

"I will never take Jonathan away from you. You have to know that." Clark said sincerely. "I couldn't do that to you. Or to Jonathan. You're the closet thing to a mother he's got."

"People survive just fine without mothers Clark." Tess looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Jonathan won't. His second word was Essa! You beat me! Doesn't that count for something?" Clark implored.

"That counts for _everything_." Tess was crying in earnest now. "That's why I can't do this."

"Tess…" Clark didn't know what to say. "I …. Understand." He said finally.

Tess looked shocked. "Thank you." She'd been expecting him to fight her.

"I'm sorry for pushing you." Clark apologised softly. "I've been fighting the feelings too. I kept telling myself that you were just a friend. But I was wrong. The lines have been blurred so much between us that we can't even define what we are. All I know is that you make me feel whole. So I'll wait. I'll do anything to convince you that this –us- could last forever."

"Clark… time is hardly going to change my mind." Tess said slowly. "I can't do it. I can't risk it. I've had nothing to many times to go back to it. I would rather die than go back to what I was."

Clark was surprised by the conviction with which she spoke. "You don't mean that."

"I do." She nodded. "And you don't understand that. You will never understand that. You've never had nobody. Even when your father died you had your mother. When Lana left, you had Chloe. When Chloe left you had Lois. When Lois died, you have Jonathan. You have never been alone Clark. No matter what you think. You've never been that alone. It's horrible and it's terrifying and so lonely." She looked at him. "I will never go back to that. I'll take the happiness that being with you and Jonathan gives me but don't ask me to risk it for more. I can't."

He didn't know what to say. Clark turned as he heard footsteps on the stairs. He turned to see Jonathan standing there, rubbing his eyes with a fist. "Hey buddy, feeling better?"

Jonathan tiredly walked down the stairs as Tess wiped her eyes. "Essa sad?"

"Essa's just happy that you're ok." She smiled at him. "Now what do you want for dinner? You choose."

"Essa's pise." Jonathan frowned, remembering Tess' birthday. "Essa oose."

Clark ran a hand through his hair. "I forgot I made reservations at La Vie En Rouge."

"The restaurant in Metropolis?"

"Paris."

Tess blinked, realising that Clark had booked them a table in a romantic French restaurant t in the city of light. _Wow_. He meant business.

Clark caught her deer in the headlights expression. "It wasn't supposed to be a date. Oliver said it was your favourite."

"Oliver's going to learn to keep his mouth shut." Tess said darkly. Knowing the blonde billionaire, he'd been trying to set them up.

Clark checked the clock on the wall. "We just missed it. Sorry."

"It's ok. Probably better this way." Tess smiled tightly. "What do you want instead?"

"It's your birthday. You choose."

"Pizza!" Jonathan crowed, butting in.

Tess smiled, thankful for the save. "Pizza it is then. Clark, why don't you go and get them and I'll set the table." She moved to the cutlery drawer, her back turned before he could reply.

"Ok." Even Clark could see that blatant dismissal. "Same as always?"

"Yes." She nodded, not looking at him.

Clark zoomed out the door. _She just needs some space,_ he thought.

He heard Jonathan ask, "Essa kay?"

Tess sighed. "Not really no." He heard her sit heavily on a chair. In his mind, he saw her put her head on the table.

"Mwa! Me iss Essa." He heard Jonathan sloppily kiss her on the cheek. "Essa kay now?"

"Yes Jonathan," He could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm okay now." Both Clark and Tess knew she was lying. Clark launched into the sky. Eavesdropping wouldn't help him. It was just his luck that he fell for another woman with commitment issues. _You'd think I would've learnt by now. _


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Clark paced in front of Oliver's desk. "I really messed up Oliver."

"Proposing was probably a mistake." Oliver nodded, not being helpful. He broke out into a smile and Clark glared at him. "I'm sorry – it's just the thought of you and Tess. Together." He shook his head. "It's a little weird man. That'll be three women that we've both dated."

"Chloe and I never dated." Clark replied quickly. "But that's beside the point." He slumped into a comfortable chair opposite the desk. "What am I going to do?"

"Give her space?" Oliver offered weakly, then raised his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. "I don't know, man. Don't take my relationship advice. Especially for Tess. I'm probably part of the reason she's like this."

"Thank you for that." Clark rolled his eyes. "Very helpful."

"I try." Oliver smiled. "Have you tried flowers?"

"A dozen sunflowers. They're her favourite." Clark nodded, frowning slightly at the memory.

"Didn't go well?" Oliver guessed from his expression.

"Nope. Gave them to Jonathan to play with." And he'd come home to find the carpet littered with the large yellow petals.

"Chocolate?" Oliver asked, trying to cover the basics.

"She's making brownies 24/7. Anything I buy her goes into them." Clark answered, getting more frustrated.

"Cook her dinner?"

"She's got dibs on the kitchen and dinner is awkward at the moment."

"Why?" Oliver leant forward, curious.

"We don't talk. We sit there in silence until Jonathan starts babbling then we play along with him. I don't know what to say to her."

"You could propose again. Couldn't be any worst than the first time." Oliver smirked at him.

"Funny." Clark pulled a face at him. "What do I do? Propose until she says yes?"

"Pretty much. She'll either say yes to shut you up or shove green k where the sun don't shine." Oliver replied with a smile. He was enjoying teasing Clark.

"What's her fixation with the proposal anyway?" Clark stood and started pacing again. "I don't think she cares about the other stuff so much as the proposal. And the I love you."

"Well," Oliver started. "You know her love of fairy tales?" Clark nodded. "How do they normally end?"

"The prince and princess marry and live happily ever after." Clark's eyes widen in realisation. "So she thinks that marriage is a step towards happily ever after."

"Which she thinks she doesn't deserve." Oliver nodded. "Now you're starting to get it. She's mostly content with what she's got. I'm pretty sure this is the happiest she's ever been. I can sorta see why she doesn't want to risk it."

"Not helping Oliver." Clark continued pacing. "What can I do?"

"I don't think there's much you can do Clark." Oliver answered honestly. "She may come round eventually."

"May come round isn't enough. I think I love her."

Oliver nearly fell of his chair. "What? I think I'm hearing things. Did Clark Kent just admit to being in love with Tess Mercer? That's one for the record books."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

Oliver looked at him. "Just that, well, you're notorious for being late to the table romantically speaking. Look how long it took you to realise that you loved Lois."

"I know! I know." Clark stopped pacing. "That's what makes it frustrating. I know what I want. I know she wants it. She just won't take a chance."

"Maybe she can't." Oliver stood up and walked out from behind his desk. "Look, I've known Tess a long time. Every single person in her life has betrayed her in some way. Including us. Trust isn't something she's used to. Neither's love. Maybe she can't reciprocate because she doesn't know how."

"Then what can I do?" Clark was desperate to do something. He'd never been one to let things go or go with the flow. He wanted to fix everything.

"I don't know." Oliver put a hand on his shoulder. "That's something you've got to work out on your own."

Tess beat the brownie mix into a gooey mess, taking out her frustration on it. The silence was killing her. Jonathan was upstairs, taking his mid-afternoon nap that normally she was relieved when he went done for it. But not today, not this week. This week there had been too much silence. She and Clark had barely exchanged a dozen words since her birthday. They were walking on eggshells on a tightrope, neither knowing what to say to the other.

She sighed. This was not what she had wanted. She didn't want anything to change. She'd been happy before. They were almost a family. There were times that she could pretend they were. She didn't know how many times she wished Clark was her husband and Jonathan was their son. But that was a dream. Clark may love her now but that would change. It always changed. She could be happy with what she had. It was more than she ever had before.

"Knock. Knock." Oliver opened up the door and walked in. "Anyone home?"

Tess ignored him. She was still mad at him for talking about her to Clark. He needed to learn how to keep his mouth shut.

Oliver ambled into the kitchen. "Hey Tess." He opened a drawer and fished out a spoon. "Care to share?" He gestured to the brownie mix.

Tess set it down out of his reach, still not saying a word. _Maybe he'll get the hint and leave. _

"So you missed our appointment this morning. I wanted your opinion on a minor takeover I'm planing." He sat down on a stool, fiddling with the spoon.

_Who am I kidding? This is Oliver. He flunked getting the hint._ Tess rolled her eyes and walked away from him.

"So I'm getting the silent treatment too?"

_Whatever gave it away? _Tess thought sarcastically_. The fact that I'm not speaking to you. Wait, what did he mean by too?_

"Yeah, Clark took your appointment. Hope you don't mind. Did you know that one of his abilities was super pace? Cos he wore a trail the depth of the Atlantic in my carpet."

"I'm sure you can afford to fix it." Tess replied tightly.

"That's not what I'm here about."

"Pity."

"We talked about you, you know."

"Actually I do know. Why the hell would you tell Clark what my favourite restraunt was?" Tess whirled on him. "Among other things."

"What things?" Oliver was clueless. Tess gave him a pointed look. "oh those things. I was drunk and Clark was whatever he is after drinking a keg by himself."

"Because that makes it all alright." Tess retorted sarcastically.

"I'm sorry Tess. I didn't think it would ever come up." Oliver apologised then smiled. "I didn't think that Clark Kent would love you either."

"Gee thanks." Tess rolled her eyes. "You really know how to make a girl feel special."

"You didn't expect it either Tess. Or you wouldn't have agreed to Lois' asking you to raise Jonathan when she died." Oliver told her seriously. "I know you."

"No you don't."

"Fine, I knew who you were and I know some of you who've become." Oliver corrected himself. "Any man would be a fool to not see what's in front of him."

"Then I guess the royal fool is sitting in front of me."

"Yeah, I deserve that but you're missing the point. You deserve this chance for happiness."

Tess laughed humourlessly. "You think that I think I don't deserve to be happy?"

"Well, yeah." Oliver answered honestly. "Don't you?"

"I know that I should have my prince charming and marry him too. I just can't. I'm too scared." Tess admitted, surprising both of them at her candour. "I'm happy now. I know I could be happier but what if it doesn't work out?"

"Love is worth the risk, Tess. You and Clark could work."

"Could. It's not a certainty."

"Nothing in life is certain." Oliver told her gently. "You have to take what you can get."

"I have to?" Tess raised an eyebrow. "What gives you the right to tell me what I have to do?"

"Tess… I care about you." Oliver looked her in the eye. "I want you to be happy. You're my family."

"We're a screwed up family, Oliver. And I am taking what I can get." She gestured around the kitchen. "This is what I can get. I'm happy with this."

"No, you're content. But I'm betting since the 'talk' with Clark, you haven't been so happy."

"Wow you're a genius." Suspicion rose in her mind. "Did Clark send you to talk to me?"

"No. I came of my own free will." Oliver took a calming breath then continued. "look, I know it's not easy being you."

"Not easy?" Tess scoffed at him.

"But it could be worse." He continued as though she didn't but it. "You could've been raised a Luthor, could still be working for Lex. Hell you could be with Zod right now."

"You're right. It could be worse. And it could be better." Tess said and Oliver's face lit up. He was getting through to her. "Which is why it stays the same. Not perfect and not terrible."

His face fell. "That's not what I wanted to hear."

"Well contrary to your beliefs – it's not all about you." Tess retorted.

Oliver tried a different track. "What about Jonathan – you and Clark are ruining his Christmas." Tess glared at him and he realised that it was a mistake to say that. "Low blow?"

"Yeah." Tess nodded then she froze.

"What's wrong?"

"I forgot to pick up Jonathan's Christmas present." She looked at the clock in horror. "I was supposed to get it two hours ago." Tess untied the apron around her waist. "I'll just run there now. Do you mind letting yourself out? I have to go. And somehow distract Jonathan from the big red box that will be in the boot when we come back. Great." She was talking more to herself than to him by the end of it.

"Why don't I just stay here with Jonathan?" Oliver offered, surprising himself. "I can manage."

Tess eyed him suspiciously before desperation made her relent. It would be impossible for Jonathan not to see the present if he came. "Oh alright." She sighed. "I should be back in two hours. Dinner's already in the oven. Just put some vegetables on in an hour."

"Go, I can manage one kid." Oliver gently pushed her out the door.

"Don't let him eat anything sugary." Tess warned him as he closed the door behind her.

"I won't," Oliver called back absently, reaching for the cookie jar. _I'll eat it myself._

An hour later, Tess pulled up in the alleyway next to a giant toyshop. She practically ran inside, still berating herself for forgetting the appointment. "Hi, I'm here to pick up the order for Kent." She smiled at the college student assistant behind the counter. "The custom made bike?" She added to make things easier.

"Oh that one." The girl remembered the bike Tess was talking about. "It's right here." She patted a box that reached her hip. "I'm guessing someone was good this year?"

Tess smiled proudly. "Very good. Is there anything I need to sign?"

The girl checked the papers attached to the box. "No, you're all good to go. Wanna trolley to get it to your car?"

"Please." It looked to heavy for her to pick up herself. The girl handed her a trolley and helped her load the box onto it.

"Hope he likes it." The girl smiled at her. "And don't forget to bring the trolley back."

"I won't." Tess said as she pulled the trolley out the sliding doors. She made it to the car and dropped the trolley with a satisfactory thump. "I need to go to the gym." She sighed before bending down and picking up the box. "I really need to go to the gym." She grumbled as her muscles burned. She quickly closed the boot and returned the trolley with a thank you. Tess stretched as she walked back to the car._ Maybe I'll let Clark hide it. Scratch that. He'll put it in an obvious spot. _She thought as she turned the corner_. I thought I closed the boot_.

A hand holding a cloth covered her mouth. Tess struck out blindly, her elbow connecting with something hard. She heard a male grunt in pain and someone pulled her hair. She blinked rapidly as the sweet smell from the cloth made her eyes water. She tried to kick but her legs gave way.

"Nighty Night Lutessa." A familiar voice whispered as her world went black.

"Tess, I'm home!" Clark yelled as he walked through the door. He wasn't really expecting an answer but a small part of him wished she'd launch herself at him and kiss him silly in greeting. Clark sighed; he was such a dreamer sometimes.

"In here." A voice that was not Tess' replied from the kitchen.

"Oliver?" Clark asked confused. "What are you doing here?" He walked in to find Oliver standing covered in mash potato and Jonathan gleefully throwing it at him and the walls. "What are you doing here? What happened and Where's Tess?" He looked around for the beautiful red head.

"In order?" Oliver asked and Clark nodded. "I came to talk some sense into Tess. Didn't work," He added at Clark's momentarily hopeful expression. "She left to pick up someone's p-r-e-s-e-n-t and she hasn't been back since." Oliver looked at the clock and frowned. "She said she'd be two hours. She's been gone four."

"Maybe she just needed to clear her head." Clark sat at the table and took the plate of mash potato away from Jonathan. "No, we don't play with our food. We eat our food."

Jonathan reached for the plate. "Mine!"

Clark held it out of reach. "In a minute. Do you promise not to throw your food again?"

"Crap!"

Clark stared at his son. "What did you just say?"

"Crap." Jonathan repeated a bit softer. He didn't like the angry look in his father's eyes. "Unca Ollie."

Clark turned to Oliver, who held up his hands. "I'm sorry. Was I supposed to say nothing while your son pelted me with the mash potato I made for him?"

"You don't cuss in front of a two year old, Oliver." Clark chastised him, half angry, half amused. "Tess is going to kill you for teaching him that."

"Not if she kills you first," Oliver quipped, grabbing a paper towel to clean himself up with.

Clark blanched. "She's mad?"

"No. Scared. People do stupid things when they're scared so don't push her." Oliver warned him. "Even though I just did."

Clark stood up. "Maybe I should go check on her."

"And how do you think that's going to go down?"

"Not well." Clark sat back down. "If she's not home in ten minutes. I'll check the gps of the car and go find her."

"All hail the invention of the gps. Friend of paranoid wives and Clark Kent." Oliver said wittily. "Some might call that stalking you know."

"I call it protection." Clark replied sternly. "And you do the same."

"I know, just saying."

The next ten minutes passed in silence. Clark fed Jonathan, who remained silent. He'd picked up on the tense atmosphere in the room. Clark stood up as the clock struck half passed 6. "That does it. I'm going to find her. She shouldn't have taken this long."

"I'll stay with Jonathan." Oliver offered. " Just give me a warning when you bring her home. I'll be sure to duck the missiles."

Clark rolled his eyes as he logged onto the computer. "I'll do that." The page came up quicker than he'd expected. "She's still at the toy shop." He left without saying goodbye, arriving at the alleyway the next second. "Tess?" He looked around, seeing only the car with the open boot. _She wouldn't leave the car like that_, he thought; panic building. His foot caught on something as he started to walk. Bending down, he picked it up and the saccharine smell made his eyes water. _Chloroform._ "Tess!" He screamed, praying for an answer. "Tess!"

Back at the Kent farm, Oliver started to clean up after himself. "You know buddy if you're Essa comes back now, we'd both be dead."

"Essa!" Jonathan cheered looking around for her. "Where Essa?"

"Essa's not here. She's probably clearing her head." Oliver replied, drying and stacking the dishes. "Your daddy is a bit tackless sometimes." Jonathan looked at him, confused. "It means your daddy is an idiot sometimes."

"Dada dio?" Jonathan asked.

"Something like that," Oliver said as the phone's shrill ring started. He decided to let it go to the answering machine. It wasn't his house.

A chilling, digitally altered voice spoke after the beep. "This message is for the Green Arrow, who ever you are. I have your friend, Tess Mercer. If you want her to live go to Good Morning Metropolis studios tomorrow morning and unmask yourself. If you don't, then she dies. Oh and here's proof of life."

There was the sound of tape being pulled off skin. "Don't do it." Tess cried before her voice was muffled.

"Well I wouldn't do what she says if you want a little boy to ever see his Essa again. See you on tv tomorrow morning." The message stopped and the dish fell out of Oliver's hands.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"_Well I wouldn't do what she says if you want a little boy to ever see his Essa again. See you on __TV tomorrow morning." _

Clark listened to the message, his face growing pale. "Oliver…."

"I know. I screwed up." Oliver put his head in his hands. "I didn't mean to call Tess a friend to Phillips. I was just so mad. It must have slipped out."

"Well learn how to control your temper!" Clark exploded, waving his arms around. Jonathan started to cry, scared by the outburst. "I'm sorry buddy." Clark picked him up and hugged. "I guess I need to control my temper too."

"It's fine Clark. If I was you, I'd be tearing down walls looking for her." Oliver said, understandingly. He didn't know how close Clark was to doing just that. "What are we going to do? I'll unmask myself again if I have to."

"No." Clark said forcefully, pacing up and down the kitchen, Jonathan held close. "That was a disaster the first time around. We don't know if Zatanna could reverse the effects again. I'll find her."

"Like you did last time?" The words were out before Oliver could stop them. "Sorry," he winced.

Clark let out a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I'll find her." He looked down to see Jonathan looking up at him pleadingly.

The boy didn't know what was going on but he knew it was bad. "Dada find Essa."

"Daddy's going to find Essa, I promise." Clark smiled tightly. "I have to," he added as a murmured afterthought.

Oliver sat silently through the exchange, going over the message in his head. "Clark…" He said slowly. "Who ever it was either knows you and Tess or has been watching you for a long time."

"Why do you say that?"

"He knew that Jonathan calls her Essa." Oliver explained, "Only people close know that."

"Well at least that narrows it down a bit." Clark sighed. It didn't really but every little detail helped. He held Jonathan out to Oliver. "Watch him. I'm going to go find her."

"Good luck." Oliver held Jonathan as Clark zoomed out the door.

"Dada!" Jonathan struggled against Oliver, trying to follow his father.

"You're dad's gone to get your Essa back." Oliver told him reassuringly. "They'll be back before you know it." _Hopefully. _

"My Essa." Jonathan pouted, calming down a bit. "Dada find Essa."

"Yes." Oliver nodded. "Daddy's going to find Tess." _One way or another._

**SV**

Tess came to slowly, feeling groggy. She rolled over and nearly fell off the bed. "What the hell?" She didn't try to open her eyes; that would hurt too much. She sighed. _Kidnapped twice in less than a year. You would think they would be sick of it by now_. Her mind flashed to Clark. He would be worried sick when he found out. She didn't even say goodbye to him this morning. He'd just slipped out, trying to respect her wishes for nothing more than friend_. I should have said goodbye. I should have said a lot of things,_ she realised.

She opened her eyes to see barred windows. She squinted with bleary eyes. They were familiar windows. Tess pushed herself to her feet, taking much longer than she should have. She used a hand on the bed to steady herself as she made her way to the window. She peered out. No, her eyes widened. Please no. The grounds outside were beautiful gardens that she'd designed in what felt like a lifetime ago.

"I thought you'd like the view." A familiar voice said from the doorway. "Something to stir your memory."

"Lex." She turned around unsteadily. "What are you doing?"

He ambled over. "Tess you really shouldn't be moving around. Come sit." Lex helped her onto the bed. "Chloroform messes with your equilibrium."

"You do realise that kidnapping is illegal, right Lex?" Tess asked, glaring up at him.

He stood over her and smiled. "I remember someone once said that if the President does it then it's no longer illegal."

"Well I guess world domination is now legal." Tess quipped, standing up. "Now you've made your point-"

"I haven't even started." Lex said and pushed her back down onto the bed. "Don't you remember the ransom call you helped me with?"

Tess searched her memory but came up with nothing. "What ransom call?"

"The one where I demanded that the Green Arrow unmasks himself publicly on Good Morning Metropolis." Lex smiled as what little colour she had left her face.

"What?"

"Well I know you're friends and if he cares about you like I think he does then he'll do it." Lex answered evenly.

"I told you – I don't know the Green Arrow!" Tess said angrily. This scheme may work. Oliver had unmasked himself once before to save someone he cared out. She prayed he wouldn't be that stupid again.

"Don't lie Tess. You're no good at it." Lex told her.

Tess looked up at him, a small smirk on her lips. "There a dozens of people that would disagree with you about that."

"Maybe. But they aren't as smart as I am." Lex leant down and looked her in the eyes. "I fooled you before."

"Maybe. But you're the one who's going to regret this."

"And why do you say that?" Lex eyed her curiously.

"Green Arrow isn't going to come for me." _Someone else is_, she added silently.

Lex smirked. "Is that right?"

"Yes." _And he better hurry up._

"Well if he doesn't come for you or unmask himself by 9 am tomorrow morning, you'll be dead." Lex smiled cruelly at her.

Clark zoomed through the streets of Metropolis trying to hear her heartbeat. He couldn't hear it any where. Please be alright, he prayed. I'm sorry we haven't spoken. Just please be alright.

He left Metropolis, heading west towards Star City. His ear piece chirped in his ear. "Anything?" Oliver asked, concerned.

"Nothing. How's Jonathan?"

"Getting very agitated. I'm trying to distract him with games but even that's starting to wear off."

"Just don't let him get too worked up. You'll get injured if he has a temper tantrum." Clark warned him, remembering his mother describe Jonathan's previous tantrum.

"How does Tess get him to stop?" Oliver asked, desperately needing to know.

"I… don't know." Clark answered honestly. "I don't know. Try singing to him."

Clark could practically hear Oliver roll his eyes. "Have you heard me sing?"

"Just try Oliver." Clark snapped at him.

"Ok. Don't say I didn't -" Oliver was cut off by an angered toddler's scream. "Oh boy. Clark you need to come home."

"On my way." Clark didn't waste anytime arguing. He couldn't afford to waste any time. Tess needed him.

"I'm sorry Clark. I shouldn't have pushed you away." He heard her voice in his head. He smiled at the thought. If only she would say that in reality. "I was scared but now I'm more scared of dying without telling you." Clark blinked. That voice wasn't in his head.

"Tess." His smile grew. He could hear her – she was alive and conscious. He flew towards her voice, only vaguely aware he was heading back to Smallville.

"I'm sorry I was so scared." He heard her continue. "I should have taken the chance."

He burst through the wall of the room she was in, red cape bellowing impressively in the dust cloud he'd created. "Yes you should have."

She looked up from the bed she was curled up on, her eyes wide with surprise. She mouthed his name, knowing better than to say it aloud.

"How about we get you out of here Miss Mercer?" Clark held back a smile. It wouldn't do for Superman to be so attached to a random citizen. That was how they ended up in this mess.

She held out a hand and Clark pulled her towards him, hugging her tightly and launched skyward. "Are you ok?" He asked as soon as they were out of range of any possible cameras or bugs.

"Yes." She nodded, looking up at him. "I am now."

"So…" Clark started uncertainly. The last time they'd had a conversation like this it didn't end well. "I heard your speech."

She blushed. "Oh."

"Did you mean it?" He could keep the hope from his voice. He'd almost lost her again today. He needed something good to happen today.

She paused, thinking it through. Tess knew that Clark was kind enough to give her an out if she needed it but she had to take the chance. The risk was there but with her record at the moment, there was more of a risk of dying before telling him how she felt. "Yes."

Clark zoomed upwards, loosing control of his powers for a second as happiness overwhelmed him. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

Tess laughed then looked down. "I think I do. But there's someone else we need to see." She glanced pointedly in the Kent farm direction. "I left Jonathan with Oliver."

"Yeah, that didn't go so well. Don't worry," He added at her worried expression. "I'll clean up." Then he smiled. "It's just like you to get rescued then worry about leaving Jonathan with Oliver."

"Is that a bad thing?" She asked as they landed outside the house.

They untangled themselves from each other. "No. It's one of the reasons I love you."

She froze, habitual panic setting in then she forced it down and smiled. "I know you do."

"Essa!" A blur ran down the stairs and launched itself at Tess. Tess caught it but the force of the blurs impact knocked her to the ground. "Essa!" Jonathan sat on her stomach.

She laughed and hugged him. "Hello to you to baby." She looked him over, noticing the food stuck to his clothes. "Did you have fun with Uncle Oliver?"

"Crap!" Jonathan crowed happily. He didn't know what the word meant but the way Tess' eyes narrowed made him laugh.

"Oliver!" Tess yelled, getting to her feet. She put Jonathan on her hip.

He walked over to her. "Tess I'm so happy you're ok."

Tess held out a hand, stopping him before he could hug her. "Why is Jonathan swearing at me?"

"Seriously?" Oliver asked. "You were kidnapped by a crazy person and you're asking me that? You're priorities are screwed up."

Tess raised an eyebrow and Clark snorted. "Just give up, man."

"You're helpful." Oliver told him sarcastically. "Who was it any way Tess? How did they know what I said to Phillips?"

"It was Lex." Tess told him and Clark came up behind her and put a comforting hand around her waist. "I don't know how he knew what you said. Maybe he was the other man I heard there."

"Maybe. I wish there was a way we could get him for this though."

"Oliver, you can't go after the President. They'll brand you a terrorist again." Tess looked up at Clark. "And that goes for you too."

"Tess, he abducted you!" Clark implored her to see reason. "It's not justice if he gets away with it."

"It's not worth it. I'm not going to loose you over Lex." Tess told him softly. "He'll get his comeuppance eventually."

"Well I never thought you'd say that." Oliver remarked casually. "I should be going. You too seem to have a lot to talk about." He looked pointedly at Clark's arm around Tess' waist. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Clark rolled his eyes good naturedly. "That doesn't leave much."

Oliver grinned as he got into his car. "That's the idea."

"Good bye Oliver!" Tess yelled, leaning into Clark. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Never!" He grinned at her.

"Well now I'm worried." Tess muttered.

Clark smiled down at her. "He won't do anything to Lex."_ He'll leave that to me. _

Tess looked up. "And don't you go getting any ideas."

"How did you know?"

"I know everything." She smiled wickedly.

Clark chuckled, leading her inside. "I knew you were going to say that."

"Looks like someone wore himself out." Tess watched Jonathan's eyes flutter closed then looked up to see the mess in the kitchen. "And I can see how."

"I told you I'd clean it up." Clark reminded her gently. "I'll do that while you put Jonathan down."

"Okay." Tess agreed, walking up the stairs. She smiled as she walked. She'd missed the camaraderie she and Clark had developed. And the safe feeling she'd felt in his arms was almost stupid it was so nice. Maybe it was worth the risk after all. She laid Jonathan down in his bed almost laughing as he refused to let her finger go. It was adorable. "Come on baby. I gotta talk with Daddy." She said gently, trying to ease her finger out but his grip was too strong.

"Here, let me." Clark's hand covered hers as he gently pried Jonathan's hand off hers.

"Thanks." She turned to face him. They were mere inches apart. "So thank you for saving me again."

"What else was I going to do?" Clark asked with a sombre expression. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

She leant in and hugged him. "And now you won't."

She felt him relax. "I love you."

Tess smiled into his chest. "I love you too."


	20. Epilogue

Epilogue

Clark walked through the front door. "Tess, I'm home."

His wife of 9 years ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "Hi."

He chuckled, tracing circles on her back. "What was that for?"

She looked up at him, green eyes glimmering mischievously. "Just because." She kissed him passionately. "That," She smiled guiltily, "Is because Jonathan crashed the tractor."

Clark stared at her. "Crashed the tractor? How?"

Tess sheepishly buried her head into his shoulder. "He got the keys off me when I was busy with Jamie and Lizzie. And then he drove into the barn."

Clark's eyes widened. "He's twelve; how the hell did he learnt to drive it?"

"Essa keeps telling me I've got a steep learning curve." Jonathan bounded down the stairs. The gangly twelve year old stopped before he reached the last step. "Are you too going to start making out cos that's disgusting."

Tess turned in Clark's arms so he was hugging her from behind. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Better?"

"Not much." Jonathan went into the kitchen. "Is dinner ready yet?"

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Clark asked, not moving from the spot. It was too comfortable. "Anything at all."

"I was bored." Jonathan walked back in, munching on an apple. "And the acceleration was stronger than I expected." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I told Mom I was sorry."

"You need to be more careful Jonathan. What if you're brother and sister were in there? Or you mother?" Clark watched his son's face flush with guilt. "They could have been hurt."

"I know. Essa's already guilt tripped me once today. You don't have to do it again." Jonathan sighed, looking at the ground. He knew he was wrong but it had been fun while it lasted.

"No, you're right. I don't." Clark nodded, his chin brushing Tess' red hair. Jonathan looked up, surprised. His father was normally stricter than that. "You'll be doing it yourself while you help me rebuild the barn this weekend."

Jonathan's face fell. "I was supposed to go Conner's this weekend. Uncle Ollie's bought a new video game."

"Well that's why this is called punishment, Jonathan." Clark told him evenly.

"You're not supposed to like it baby." Tess added, a little more gently. She'd already chewed him out for it earlier. He'd given her a heart attack with the stunt.

"Well it sucks." Jonathan pouted at Tess. She always gave into the pout and puppy dog eyes.

Clark laughed at the blatant attempt to get out of trouble. "Son, your mother taught you those eyes. Better luck next time. Go up and get your brother for dinner."

"Fine." Jonathan stomped upstairs. "Harry!" he yelled. "Dinner!"

Tess rolled her eyes. "I could have done that."

A small blonde 5 year old bounded down the stairs with jumps high enough to enter him in the Olympics. "Daddy!" Harry Kent yelled excitedly. "Guess what I did today."

Clark let of Tess to pick up their son. "I don't know. What did you do today, champ?"

"I wrote a letter to Grandma!" He grinned broadly at his achievement. "And Miss Hallows said it was spelled right and everything. And Mama let me posted it to Grandma."

Clark smiled proudly. His youngest son was growing up so fast. "Well that's good. As a reward, you can ice cream after dinner."

"Do I get ice-cream?" Jonathan asked hopefully.

"Depends," Tess told him. "If you set the table or not."

"Sure." Jonathan zoomed into the kitchen to get the plates and cutlery and was a blur as he set the table. "All done."

"And now you and Harry can wake your sister up from her nap." Tess smiled at her sons.

"But she hit me last time!" Harry pouted at her, waving his arms wildly as if to demonstrate his sister's irritability.

"Well be more gentle this time."

"You're evil." Jonathan grumbled as he went to what he was told. Ice cream was his favourite after all.

Clark wrapped an arm around his wife's waist and dropped a kiss on her head. "You're not evil honey."

She arched her back, leaning her head backwards and kissed him. "Aren't I?" Her eyes danced with mirth.

He kissed her back, turning her in his arms so her body was flush with his. "Maybe I need a demonstration."

"I'd be happy to oblige." She smiled then pulled away with a huff as two screams emitted from the lounge room.

"Mom! She hit me." Jonathan complained. "And it hurts."

"Really? I didn't notice," Tess drawled dryly. Clark smiled at the sarcasm; his wife was a tough cookie. He still had to force her to tell him when she was hurt. She walked into the room to find the 3 year old Lizzie screaming at her brother and Jonathan holding his arm. Harry stood to the side, keeping out of the barrage of incoherent screams being issued. Of all of the children, he was most like Clark. "Ok, what happened?"

"She hit me!" Jonathan pointed at his sister.

"Natha hit me!" Lizzie pointed at her brother, green eyes identical to Tess' staring daggers at Jonathan. "Mama!" She wailed and Tess picked her up, shushing her gently.

"Right, look after the baby." Jonathan rolled his eyes. "What about me?"

Clark ambled over and x-rayed his arm. "Nothing's broken." He said. "But it will probably bruise."

"Great."

"Just think, you'll look like the other boys now." Clark told him. His son was so like him it was uncanny. He just wanted to be like the other boys too. "Tell them you were playing football against your old man and you won."

Jonathan's eyes lit up. Everyone in town worshiped his father for winning the football championship. His friends would be jealous. "Ok."

"We all set now?" Tess asked, still patting Lizzie on the back. The boys all nodded and filed into the kitchen. Clark caught Tess' eye and rolled his own. _Just another day at the Kents._


End file.
